"What time is it please? . . ." c. 19th century

Editor: This is "What time is it please? . . ." by Honoré Daumier, and it feels like a snapshot of a slightly awkward encounter on a Parisian street. What do you make of it? Curator: It's interesting, isn't it? Daumier, the master of social commentary! I always feel like I'm overhearing a conversation when I look at his work. Notice how the light seems to isolate the figures, heightening that sense of immediacy and perhaps... a touch of the absurd? Editor: Absurd, definitely. It's funny and a bit sad at the same time. Curator: Exactly! Daumier captures those fleeting moments, like catching a glimpse of someone’s soul in a quick sketch. Makes you wonder about their story, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure. Art should spark curiosity, and Daumier was a master at it.