Dumirail in Peasant Costume c. 18th century

Editor: So, here's "Dumirail in Peasant Costume" by Louis Desplaces. It's a small print, a portrait of a man dressed, well, not quite like a peasant. It feels staged, almost theatrical. What's your take? Curator: It's fascinating how "peasant costume" becomes a performance here. It reflects the aristocracy's fascination with the pastoral, a romanticized view of rural life that conveniently ignores the realities of poverty and labor. Who gets to define "peasant" and why? Editor: So it's less about representing peasants and more about the upper class playing dress-up? Curator: Exactly. It reveals a power dynamic, where the elite can appropriate and aestheticize the lives of the working class. Consider how this imagery might uphold existing social hierarchies by masking real inequalities. Editor: I never thought of it that way. Thanks! Curator: It's a privilege to be able to interpret art from a social perspective.