A Visit to the Salon. Obviously all the sculptors are a naughty bunch, plate 1 from Tout Ce Qu'on Voudra 1847

Honoré Daumier's lithograph captures a moment in a Parisian Salon, hinting at the complex relationship between art, morality, and the gaze. A father hurries his children away from a display of sculptures, shielding their eyes. The statues, with their exaggerated poses, echo classical motifs of heroism and the nude form—symbols of idealized beauty. Yet, Daumier suggests these forms have become something else in the 19th century. The averted gaze speaks volumes, a motif that we see echoed throughout history, from religious art to Victorian modesty. Consider the “pudica” gesture, where figures cover their nakedness: it is not merely about concealing the body, but also about acknowledging a sense of shame or awareness of the gaze. This shame is not innate but culturally produced. The hurried exit underscores the anxieties surrounding public art and its potential to corrupt. Daumier’s satire reveals how symbols, once revered, can become objects of scrutiny. The ever-shifting nature of symbols reveals a profound tension between tradition and modernity.