Å la recherche d'une position sociale 1853

Paul Gavarni made this watercolor, titled *In Search of a Social Position*, during a time of significant social upheaval in France. Gavarni's work often depicted the lives of ordinary Parisians, and this piece is no exception. We see a figure in tattered clothing standing at the edge of what appears to be a quarry. His posture—hand shielding his eyes—suggests he's searching, but what is he looking for? Gavarni lived through several revolutions and periods of intense social change. "What is there to be done? I do not know myself. I am like a man who has lost his ticket, his number," Gavarni once said, expressing a sentiment of displacement. Consider this figure's ragged attire against the backdrop of a society obsessed with social status and appearances. Is he searching for a literal place in society, or is Gavarni commenting on the near impossibility of social mobility? The raw emotion in this image invites us to reflect on our own positions within society and what it means to belong.