A Start at Hunting 1844

Curator: Here we have Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "A Start at Hunting" from the series "Les Beaux Jours de la Vie," held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The look of sheer panic on the older man's face is priceless! You can almost hear his internal scream. Curator: Right! This piece captures the anxieties around class and leisure. Hunting, typically reserved for the aristocracy, is now a stage for middle-class performance. Editor: Daumier’s cross-hatching creates a sense of frenetic energy; it underscores the artificiality of this staged moment. The father looks more like he's about to faint than hunt. Curator: It's a beautiful, slightly absurd commentary on social climbing and the anxieties it produces, told with Daumier's characteristic wit. Editor: I leave this piece with a renewed appreciation for Daumier’s satirical brilliance—and perhaps a little sympathy for the would-be hunter.