"Peekaboo! There it is again!" 1870

Curator: What a striking image! This is "Peekaboo! There it is again!" by Honoré Daumier, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. The medium is lithography. The man's face is priceless. Editor: Indeed. The linear quality and stark contrasts really amplify the satirical mood. I am curious about the materiality of the print itself, and how the distribution of such imagery affected public discourse. Curator: Daumier made prints like these for mass consumption, using his skill to address social issues and political absurdities of his time. The availability of newspapers changed the way art was used as commentary. Editor: The newspaper headlines become part of the piece. It's fascinating how the printing press could disseminate these critical views so widely and cheaply. He wasn’t simply an artist; he was a manufacturer of dissent! Curator: And dissent that is still, in many ways, relevant. The process of creating and distributing these images shaped public perception. Editor: Ultimately, it shows how art functions as a tool within a society structured by power dynamics.