Pour la septième fois voulez-vous me rendre ... c. 19th century

Curator: Look at this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "Pour la septième fois voulez-vous me rendre ma place...". It's from the 19th century and part of his series, "Les Moments Difficiles de la Vie." The direct translation being “difficult moments in life”. Editor: Oh, it's immediately striking! The expressions are so intense, almost theatrical. The use of line is masterful and conveys such tension. The crowd in the back seem detached, but this exchange has so much gravity. Curator: Daumier was known for using lithography to produce satirical commentaries on French society. Lithography, as a printmaking process, allowed for relatively mass production of images, making his work accessible to a wider audience. His focus here looks at the nuances within class structure. Editor: Precisely, I think Daumier’s skill was capturing and amplifying these often overlooked anxieties, anxieties stemming from class dynamics and social etiquette, but also basic dignity and access to spaces. He shows a very tangible clash of privileges right here. This whole performance plays out on this staged scene in front of a whole passive audience. Who does it serve? How does the artist mobilize his class through this image? Curator: The print's subtitle, or caption, emphasizes a scenario filled with impatience. It sheds light on how social performances shape individuals, or break their spirit. Editor: Absolutely. And in this way it critiques performativity, but I believe it equally empowers the subjects he portrays. Consider Daumier's social position. Did he intend his artworks as a way of giving agency to his class by calling for political awareness or reflection? I suppose it raises questions around art making at that time too. Where would Daumier consider himself as an author? A craftsman? Or activist perhaps? Curator: Well, Daumier’s art always reflects labor. He used affordable materials to create images for the working class, bringing high and low art together through printmaking to reach wide distribution, challenging existing frameworks of how to access artistic circles. Editor: Exactly, the nuances of those kinds of social shifts. Food for thought! Curator: Indeed.