"What put it into your head, Adelaide, to go spend our Sunday in the country?...we would have been so much better off at home!...." 1857

Editor: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier is titled "What put it into your head, Adelaide, to go spend our Sunday in the country?...we would have been so much better off at home!....". It looks like a disgruntled couple sitting outside. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Daumier often used his art to critique bourgeois society. This image speaks volumes about gender roles and expectations, doesn’t it? Consider the husband’s obvious discomfort versus Adelaide's stoic demeanor. Editor: I see that. Maybe she's trying to enjoy the outing despite his complaining? Curator: Exactly! Daumier cleverly highlights the power dynamics within marriage and the societal pressures placed on women to maintain appearances, even when their own desires might be different. Editor: So, it's not just a funny image, but a commentary on social norms. Curator: Precisely. It invites us to question whose "better off" the husband is really considering. Whose comfort matters most in this relationship, and more broadly, in society? Editor: I never thought of it that way. This makes me see Daumier's work in a completely new light. Curator: It reveals that art, even seemingly simple cartoons, can be powerful tools for social commentary and change.