El Cid also takes to the field to fight against the Moors, plate 116 from Actualités 1859

Curator: Here we have Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "El Cid also takes to the field to fight against the Moors," plate 116 from the Actualités series, created in 1859. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the swirling energy of the lines, particularly in the crowd. It gives the whole image a sense of dynamism, even chaos, that contrasts strangely with the rigid figure of the knight. Curator: Indeed. Daumier frequently employed historical or literary subjects as vehicles for social commentary. The figure of El Cid, a legendary Castilian hero known for his battles against the Moors, is here presented amidst what appears to be contemporary Parisian life. The people almost seem afraid. Do you think Daumier is contrasting idealized heroism with the messy reality of 19th-century society? Editor: It's an interesting tension. El Cid is undeniably central, posed heroically in gleaming armor atop a rearing horse. Yet, Daumier's style undermines that conventional heroism. The lithographic technique, with its reliance on line and shadow, almost caricatures the scene. Curator: And perhaps points to the futility of mythic heroism in a modern context? The crowd certainly doesn't seem ennobled by his presence; their expressions are largely of shock or perhaps protest. Maybe Daumier intended to challenge romanticized notions of the past? It reminds us of how narratives of heroism are constantly shifting across cultures. Editor: The composition emphasizes this too. The diagonal sweep of the crowd, coupled with the stark contrast between light and shadow, pulls the eye towards the edges of the picture plane. It subtly diminishes the hero and emphasizes the chaotic and undefined nature of the masses around him. Even the architectural structures in the background contribute to the flattening of space, confining our 'heroic' subject. Curator: That's a powerful point, the sense of confinement. And that sense also alludes to questions around contemporary French imperialism during this time and all its complexities. Editor: It makes you think about what heroism truly means, and whether Daumier's work is ultimately celebrating or subverting those ideas. Curator: Exactly. These questions keep his work fresh and intriguing even now.