An evening at the National Guard 1847

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier's "An evening at the National Guard". The men in uniform seem so bored and uncomfortable, with one yawning hugely. What can you tell me about the social context of this work? Curator: Daumier critiqued the bourgeoisie through his lithographs. The National Guard, theoretically a civic duty, became a symbol of bourgeois pretension and compulsory service. Look at the contrast between the loud yawn and the slumped figure; it mocks their supposed vigilance. Editor: So, it’s not necessarily about praising civic duty? Curator: Precisely! Daumier used humor to expose the gap between the Guard's perceived importance and their actual, rather lackluster, engagement. It makes you question the reality behind performative patriotism, doesn’t it? Editor: It does. I'll definitely look at Daumier's work with a more critical eye now.