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Honoré Daumier
Robert Macaire, businessman. What the devil! My good chap, it's really admirable of you to break your back to pay off your debts, you should wipe them out at once. But how? Good heavens! Bring me your books, I'll put them in order, it's my specialty, we'll settle for a few liabilities, a large number of assets, we'll assemble your creditors, we'll offer five percent to be paid over ten years, you won't give them anything during the ten years, in ten years' time you'll start again, your creditors will be dead, the debts forgotten and nobody will say a word about it. (Robert Macaire, agent d'affairs Que diable! Mon cher, vous êtes bien bon de vous échiner à payer vos dettes, éteignez les donc tout d’un coup! – Comment ça? – Parbleu! Apportez moi vos livres, je les arrangerai, c’est ma spécialité; nous ferons un petit passif, un gros actif, nous assemblerons vos créanciers, nous offrirons cinq pour cent payables en dix ans, pendant dix ans vous ne donnerez rien, dans dix ans, vous recommencerez, les créanciers seront morts, les dettes oubliées et tout sera dit….. ) (1837)
hand-coloured lithograph and gum arabic
24.3 × 21.7 cm (image) 24.5 × 22.0 cm (comp.) 28.9 × 22.7 cm (comp. and text) 35.3 × 25.6 cm (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1999
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

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