"Mother: "Is it polite for him to suck on his sweet?" c. 19th century

Editor: So this is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "Mother: 'Is it polite for him to suck on his sweet?'" held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a pretty biting social commentary, wouldn’t you say? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Daumier often used lithography to critique bourgeois society, and here we see a pointed contrast between the well-dressed parents and their son, whose actions embarrass them. It’s about public performance and anxieties of class. How does the setting contribute? Editor: Good question! It feels like they are in a public park, maybe? It makes me think of the expectations of behavior in public spaces. Curator: Exactly. Daumier highlights how social expectations shape interactions and create tension, making us question the rituals of politeness and their underlying motives. It’s less about the sweet, more about appearances. Editor: This reminds me how art captures these subtle social dynamics. Curator: Precisely, providing a window into the past.