L'Oeil du maitre 1842

Editor: So, here we have Honoré Daumier’s "L'Oeil du Maître" from 1842, a lithograph print. There’s something melancholic about the scene… a sense of resigned observation, maybe? What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the context of its creation. Daumier was a fierce social critic, and lithography allowed him to disseminate his commentary widely. How do you think the political climate of 1840s France might have influenced this particular caricature? What’s the public role being served here? Editor: That’s a great question. I guess the clothing feels like simple, everyday garb, maybe the working class. Are they characters in a specific story, or types of people meant to symbolize something broader? Curator: Daumier often used everyday scenes to critique the bourgeoisie. Do you see a commentary on class relations, perhaps with the title playing ironically on the ‘master’ being blind or willfully ignorant to the lives of those he oversees? Notice the figure examining something closely. Editor: Right! And the other figure holding up a glass...like examining the contents. Do you think they're literally blind, or is Daumier using blindness as a metaphor? Curator: I think the symbolic potential of sight is vital here. Consider how the distribution of images through printmaking altered public perception during that time. Whose vision counts, and how does it shape social power? The 'eye of the master' seems almost myopic in focus here. What do you think that signifies in terms of how those in power view the lower class? Editor: I never would have thought about it that way! So, this image, as a print, is participating in a visual culture of political dissent. It highlights those power imbalances. Thanks for opening my eyes to the history behind this drawing. Curator: Absolutely. Thinking about the image's creation and distribution allows us to see it not just as a drawing, but as an active participant in the political debates of its time.