Diable!... il parait que le rasoir n'est guère bon... 1847

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, whose title translates as "Devil!...it seems the razor is hardly any good...," during a period of enormous social change in France. Daumier found his subject matter in the everyday lives of Parisians, and he made a name for himself by satirizing the bourgeoisie. In this image, he critiques the customer-service relationship. The humor comes at the expense of a customer who appears anxious about the quality of his shave. It can be read as a commentary on the anxieties of urban life, where social interactions are often impersonal and business-like. As an art historian, I would want to understand the social codes that governed interactions between people of different classes in 19th century Paris. I’d also look at the institutions of art that supported artists like Daumier. His prints were reproduced in popular newspapers, allowing him to reach a wide audience and comment on the social issues of his day.