"That Man, Leaving the Coffee House . . ." 1841

Curator: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "That Man, Leaving the Coffee House...", presents a rather dejected figure. What's your immediate take? Editor: Gloom. Utter dejection. The slumped posture, discarded boots – he's clearly at rock bottom. Curator: Daumier, known for his social commentary, likely intended to critique the societal pressures that lead to such despair, perhaps gambling debts as the text below the image suggests. Editor: Absolutely. We can read this in relation to capitalism, the class divide, and the crushing weight of financial instability on the working class. It's a raw depiction of masculine vulnerability. Curator: Daumier created art for the people, using satire and caricature to expose injustices. This work, accessible and immediate, speaks volumes about the human cost of economic hardship in 19th-century Paris. Editor: It prompts us to question: Who benefits from such systems, and who is left behind, barefoot and broke? It still resonates deeply today.