Faut pas vous désoler comme ca ... c. 19th century

Curator: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "Faut pas vous désoler comme ça…", which translates to "Don't distress yourself like that..." dates to around the 19th century. What strikes you first about this piece? Editor: The most prominent thing is the overwhelming sense of morbidity; there's such distortion in the figures, the grotesque faces, the withered bundle on the stretcher... it's all rather heavy. Curator: The print comes from a series named "Les Raisins Malades", which refers to sickly grapes. We need to view Daumier’s caricatures in the context of the social and political landscape of 19th-century France. His prints often critiqued the bourgeoisie, and the medical establishment. Here, the sickly grapes likely serve as a metaphor for the vulnerable population being transported, perhaps, to an inadequate or indifferent healthcare system. Editor: I notice the lines of the lithograph are quite wiry, giving the scene a nervous, almost anxious feel. It emphasizes the exaggeration, yes, but also intensifies the mood of general disquiet, highlighting their gaunt faces and feeble postures. There's an incredible economy of line at play to show their destitution and misery. Curator: Absolutely. And what is more disquieting: those transporting the bundle say in jest or indifference, “Don’t be upset my poor grapes, we are carrying you to a hospital where there are learned men… if you are not cured, at least they will determine the cause of your death, in Latin... That is always a consolation!” Note, too, how the date and numbering make it feel like reportage; indeed, many of Daumier's lithographs were originally published in periodicals. Editor: What is compelling is the raw quality that contributes to the overall impact. Its aesthetic power comes from its expressive representation of a melancholic topic in only black and white; each shade contributing a feeling of sickness to this small drama, highlighting an important commentary through these structural tensions. Curator: I agree. Reflecting on it all, one begins to ponder those social commentaries, while another observes how he renders human suffering, the one deepening through social interpretation, while the other considers it as an emotional impact. Both enrich our understanding of this remarkable artist, Honoré Daumier.