A biting 1858 lithograph by Honoré-Victorin Daumier, satirising French colonial hypocrisy during the Second Opium War.

This lithograph by Honoré-Victorin Daumier, titled 'Well, mate, wouldn't you say this is better than o-o-opium? Just you wait, I'll ci-i-i-i-ivilize you!', belongs to the series 'En Chine'. Published in 1858, the work offers a sharp critique of French colonial attitudes during the Second Opium War. Daumier, a master of the satirical press, employs his characteristic loose, expressive line work to depict two figures in a tense, absurd encounter.

The composition features a French soldier, bottle in hand, confronting a Chinese figure. The soldier's posture is aggressive, while the Chinese figure appears physically overwhelmed. In the background, a simplified pagoda suggests the setting. The caption, which mimics a stutter, mocks the hypocrisy of the 'civilising mission' used to justify military intervention and the forced trade of alcohol and opium. Daumier uses the grotesque exaggeration of facial features to convey the moral corruption inherent in the colonial project.

As a lithograph, the work demonstrates Daumier's ability to translate the immediacy of his drawing style into a mass-produced format. His work for journals like 'Le Charivari' allowed him to reach a wide audience, providing a visual commentary on the political and social issues of the July Monarchy and the Second Empire. This print is a clear example of his biting wit and his refusal to shy away from controversial subjects. The stark contrast between the ink and the paper surface emphasises the raw, unpolished nature of his social critique, making it a piece of historical documentation as much as an artistic endeavour.