Une consultation scientifique c. 19th century

This lithograph, "Une Consultation Scientifique," was made by Honoré Daumier in the 19th century. It's a print, made by drawing on a lithographic stone, a process that allowed for relatively quick and cheap reproduction for newspapers and magazines. Daumier expertly uses line and shadow to create depth and texture, giving the print a sense of immediacy and realism. Consider the way Daumier captures the pomposity of these so-called scientists through the very act of close inspection. The focus is on their activity: they study potatoes, and believe their disease is due to Botrytis. Daumier cleverly ties this scene to the wider social issues of class, labor and consumption, and satirizes the pretensions of academic authority. By focusing on the everyday subject matter of food, combined with Daumier's choice of printing as a medium, this lithograph blurs the lines between fine art and popular culture. It invites us to consider how the means of production shape the meaning and accessibility of art itself.