An Abuse of Trust 1842

Editor: This is "An Abuse of Trust" by Honoré Daumier. It looks like a lithograph, with strong linear marks. The figure is quite exposed, yet still wears a top hat. What do you make of Daumier's material choices here? Curator: Daumier's lithographs were mass-produced, aimed at a broad audience. This medium allowed for biting social commentary, reaching those impacted by the very "abuse of trust" depicted. The cheap reproducibility democratized art while highlighting class disparities and labor. Editor: So, the material itself is part of the message? Curator: Precisely. Daumier uses the accessibility of lithography to critique the elite, suggesting that justice and dignity are being manufactured and commodified, much like the print itself. Editor: I hadn't considered that. Thanks, that gives me a new perspective. Curator: Indeed, the material choices in art are never neutral.