“Look! See how his eyes are on the saveloys and the ham.... it seems we like Papa's job?..... my little piglet!,” plate 51 from Moeurs Conjugales 1842

Editor: So, this is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph from 1842, a print titled “Look! See how his eyes are on the saveloys and the ham… it seems we like Papa's job?… my little piglet!”. The cross-hatching is incredible; it creates such a gloomy, domestic atmosphere. It feels really pointed. What jumps out at you when you look at this work? Curator: Gloomy, yes, but isn't there also a spark of mischievousness there? Daumier was a master of capturing the subtle dramas of everyday life. Those hams hanging overhead practically scream bourgeois comfort, while the father's eyes... they're gleaming with a certain, shall we say, earthy delight. Notice how the light emphasizes the father compared to the comparatively paler subjects of the child and mother; he seems almost devilish, illuminated, contrasting with his more ethereal family members. What do you think Daumier is trying to convey about family life? Editor: That domesticity could be both a blessing and maybe… a little bit of a trap? The title, it feels almost sarcastic. I almost pity this child with food set to be the basis of love? Curator: Precisely! The print is a window into the complexities of marriage and social satire under the July Monarchy in France, but the sentiment seems almost eternal. He's questioning the roles we play and the values we pass down, one saveloy at a time. And let's not forget the comedic flair—that subtitle "my little piglet" walks the fine line between tenderness and well-meaning, but possibly overbearing pressure, doesn't it? It seems there is so much we pass to our children, be it love or expectation. Editor: Definitely gives me something to chew on. There's so much conveyed in the smallest of lines. Curator: Indeed, and that's Daumier’s genius. He makes us laugh, but then leaves us with a lingering aftertaste of self-reflection.