The Savage Binau Having...Finally Found a Use for His Club... 1850

Curator: Oh, this piece by Honoré Daumier, titled "The Savage Binau Having...Finally Found a Use for His Club..."—it's got such a punchy feel, doesn't it? The frenetic energy of the lines just bursts from the page. Editor: Indeed. It's interesting to consider how Daumier uses Binau, a character likely based on a contemporary political figure, to critique modernization and perhaps even imperialist desires. Binau, the savage, wielding his club, seems to be bringing disorder to Parisian boulevards. Curator: I love how Binau is drawn, like a mischievous imp almost. The smoke and rubble everywhere feel so chaotic and a little funny, you know? Like, 'oh no, here comes trouble!' Editor: It's a potent satire, underscoring the disruptive nature of imposed progress. Daumier uses this cartoon, in the tradition of political cartoons of the time, to comment on power and its effect. Curator: It is like he’s dancing while demolishing. It’s great. Editor: It reminds us that art can be a mirror reflecting societal tensions, urging us to question whose progress is truly being served. Curator: Exactly. Daumier gets you thinking, while snickering.