Attendez... il faut encore ceci... 1866

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier’s 1866 lithograph, "Attendez... il faut encore ceci..." The image depicts two figures on a balancing scale with a central figure adding a box labelled ‘Venetie’. It feels like a sharp commentary on power, but I’m unsure what it alludes to. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Indeed, it’s quite potent. Look closely at how Daumier uses the imagery of the scales. Scales are age-old symbols of justice and fairness, going back millennia. Here, he’s subverting that established meaning. What does it say about a fair trial if extra weight—'Venetie'—is added to one side? What does "Venetie" symbolize, and how does it affect the perceived balance? Editor: Right! "Venetie" is Venice...So is Daumier suggesting that Venice is unfairly influencing the situation, or being used as leverage? Curator: Perhaps. Consider the broader political context of 1866. Italy and Austria were engaged in conflicts. Venice was part of the Austrian Empire at that time, but wanted to unify with Italy. What role could Venice be playing in the "balancing" of power between other states? Editor: Ah, I see. It's less about literal justice, and more about how political forces are manipulated. The box labelled ‘Venetie’ shifts the balance! Daumier cleverly uses that visual to symbolize a political act. Curator: Precisely. Daumier suggests something crucial to achieving true balance is lacking or that fairness is being corrupted by external agendas. Consider also the figures themselves— their exaggerated features suggesting political actors—perhaps even caricature! The print offers us a complex reflection of its time. Editor: This image offers a strong socio-political point about Venice as a valuable object used in achieving political objectives and balance through veiled means. Curator: Exactly. So the symbolic manipulation is pretty telling here. Powerful stuff!