"Thank you! This gentleman is inviting me to go hunting..." 1843

Editor: So, this is Honoré Daumier's "Thank you! This gentleman is inviting me to go hunting…" It's a lithograph, and the stark contrast between the two figures strikes me. One's burdened, the other seems almost predatory. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, it’s Daumier, so satire is definitely in the mix! Notice the text below, "Merci! ce monsieur m'invite à chasser sur ses terres, je fais quarante lieues, et il me donne une alouette!" The one offering the lark, seems generous. But the other, burdened with game, is he truly a guest or is he being taken advantage of? Editor: That context changes everything! It's a commentary on social class and exploitation, isn't it? Curator: Precisely! Daumier’s genius lies in making us question the seemingly obvious. It certainly did for me! Editor: I'll never look at a hunting scene the same way again.