Le barbier pense a ses créanciers... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, titled "The barber thinks of his creditors while sharpening his razor," in France in 1839. It's a caricature, a type of image that thrived in the satirical press of 19th-century Paris. The image depicts a barber with exaggerated features, pausing mid-shave, his face contorted with worry. The customer, equally caricatured, sits passively, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Daumier used visual codes to comment on the anxieties of the petit bourgeoisie in a rapidly changing society. The barber's trade, usually a symbol of refinement, here becomes a source of stress, reflecting economic pressures. Daumier's work often critiqued the social structures of his time, and he frequently contributed to journals known for their progressive stances. To understand this image fully, one might research the economic conditions in France during the 1830s and the role of caricature in shaping public opinion. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.