Past Midnight, plate 19 from Locataires et Propriétaires 1847

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Past Midnight, plate 19 from Locataires et Propriétaires," created in 1847. The scene, rendered in delicate lines, shows a figure struggling with a door, while another watches from above. It evokes a sense of late-night urban unease. How do you interpret this work formally? Curator: Focusing purely on form, the dramatic curve of the cobblestones in contrast with the flat plane of the door immediately attracts the eye. Notice the insistent vertical lines, achieved by delicate strokes in the door contrasted with a more relaxed treatment of the man’s coat, contributing to a visual rhythm. The lines work together to heighten the sense of confinement and create compositional tension. Editor: I see that. What about the figures themselves? Their shapes seem almost exaggerated. Curator: Precisely! Daumier masterfully employs caricature, deforming the figures to convey social commentary. Observe how the leaning man's instability is reinforced through elongated limbs, mirrored in the curvature of the door and path; while the top figure, almost a rigid cube, offers contrast, thus acting as a commentary on differing status. Note his reduction of realistic human form, but it conveys profound psychological insight. Editor: That's a very helpful observation. I hadn’t thought of it that way before. It really pulls together the feeling of disruption, a rupture to the calm night. Curator: Indeed. Daumier expertly wields form to evoke such emotion. His structural and compositional choices enhance the artwork. Studying works of art by line alone provides great reward and insight into an artist's social and individual concerns.