Ouvirers 

Curator: Up next, we're looking at "Ouvriers", which loosely translates to "Workers", an oil painting by Honoré Daumier. Editor: It's… heavy. You feel the weight of their labor just looking at their faces. And there’s a closeness, a real camaraderie suggested by the overlapping figures. It feels like looking at a slice of real life. Curator: Absolutely. Daumier was keenly interested in the plight of the working class, especially in Paris. This painting highlights that, using the genre of the group portrait to subtly draw attention to labor conditions. Look at the muted colors and brushstrokes that seem to merge them with the environment, as if they are of the environment. Editor: Right. And those brushstrokes! They’re not trying to pretty things up. It's raw, almost unfinished in places, and somehow, that roughness intensifies the feeling of reality. You get the impression he wanted to just grab what was in front of him. And did! Curator: Precisely. The painting eschews typical academic precision to instead focus on conveying a social reality. By exploring their place in the class system with materiality, Daumier creates a mirror for reflecting social consciousness and class disparity. It makes one consider the work of being human. Editor: Makes you wonder what they were talking about, too. Were they grumbling about their bosses? Making plans for the weekend? Sharing a joke? It's powerful how a simple portrait can trigger so much empathy. Curator: Daumier skillfully captures an enduring human theme through observation, composition, and mark-making; It’s art deeply engaged with the world and the socio-political context of 19th-century France. Editor: Yeah, after lingering with them here, I'll probably think twice the next time I enjoy something that some group of folks likely struggled to make. A bit more respect is surely in order.