A man in a tall black hat gazes longingly at coins displayed behind a window in this scene by Honoré Daumier, the acknowledged master of French graphic satire. In contrast with Daumier’s renowned caricatures of politically powerful figures, this lithograph represents a penetrating study of a fellow citizen at a revealing moment, one in his series entitled Emotions Parisiennes. Using his distinctive, expressive line, Daumier portrays the somber, self-contained figure with pursed lips and melancholy gaze, imbuing the man’s form with a timeless vulnerability. The drawing’s title means “Gold is a myth for those who have not a penny.”