Baron de Lascours 1835

This is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph of Baron de Lascours, a starkly rendered portrait of authority and judgment. Notice Lascours’s arms, crossed firmly, a gesture echoing through time from rulers of antiquity to modern politicians. It conveys self-assurance, but also defensiveness, a subtle challenge. Compare this to ancient Roman sculptures where emperors often adopted a similar stance, projecting power and control. The gesture, however, is not static. The figures behind him, huddled in what seems to be discussion, remind us of shadow figures, perhaps reflecting the unease and subconscious fears associated with power. These archetypes, reminiscent of figures in dreams, engage us on a primal level. Thus, Daumier's image captures not only the physical likeness of an individual but also taps into a deeper well of collective memory, where gestures and expressions carry the weight of centuries, constantly shifting in meaning, yet forever tethered to their origins.