"Les Maris me font toujours rire" (Husbands Always Make Me Laugh) 1852 - 1853

Curator: Paul Gavarni created this lithograph around 1852 or 1853; it's titled "Les Maris me font toujours rire," which translates to "Husbands always make me laugh." Editor: Well, that title already piques my curiosity! My first impression is that it's a little sly, a bit mischievous. Look at the expressions on these men! There's a whole story brewing beneath the surface. Curator: Indeed. Gavarni, throughout his career, keenly observed and satirized Parisian society. This print offers insight into gender roles and marital dynamics during the mid-19th century, specifically within the French bourgeoisie. Editor: Satire is the right word. The fellow on the left, fiddling with his vest, seems like he's trying awfully hard. And his companion beside him? His almost sleepy eyes...Is it boredom or silent judgement I wonder? Curator: That's a perceptive observation. The textual component beneath the illustration includes dialogue: "Do you think, Joup, that this person noticed me?". Considering the title, one might consider the artwork's focus on performativity. These "masks and faces" subtly critique patriarchal power structures and perhaps hint at suppressed desires or anxieties. Editor: Suppressed desires... now you're talking my language. It’s like they're characters in a play— maybe a comedy, maybe a tragedy. It could almost be a contemporary dating app profile, only in exquisitely rendered monochrome lithography. What do you make of Gavarni's technique, though? The strokes feel so immediate, full of life. Curator: The graphic arts format offered Gavarni a reach like no other, thus broadening his social commentary. His fluid line work and masterful use of shading really contribute to the scene's overall sense of unease, allowing us to read and analyze class, gender and even desire into these subjects. Editor: I appreciate the immediacy that this print offers; it really draws you in. What seems at first like a humorous snapshot soon grows to be a subtle reflection of society's attitudes, even back then. Curator: Exactly. The complexities embedded here make it a work that continuously encourages reinterpretations, even by today's standards.