Se posant en connaisseurs c. 19th century

Curator: We’re now looking at “Se posant en connaisseurs” or "Posing as Connoisseurs", a lithograph drawing by Honoré Daumier from around the 19th century. It depicts a crowd of men viewing art. Editor: My first impression is one of social satire. There's a clear emphasis on the absurd posturing of the bourgeois class. The strong linearity creates a kind of hectic energy; almost as if the men were literally fighting each other to appear to have some unique art insight. Curator: Precisely. Daumier often used his art to critique social and political issues. His caricatures offer insightful commentary on the bourgeoisie and the art world. It shows that these men perform their status more than admire the art. Note the title itself. It's not about actual understanding of art. It is the posturing of a learned subject. Editor: The density of the hatching gives the figures a strong volumetric presence, almost palpable. But if you think about it, he is not only satirizing art onlookers, but also adopting similar tricks within art and, let's face it, flaunting his own knowledge. Daumier's attention to line and shadow, the composition itself, is nothing short of skilled formalism. Curator: It's this blend of artistry and social commentary that makes Daumier's work so powerful. It acts as both an artistic construction but a very sharp reading of his contemporaries. He used his skills to undermine their position. I also see in his work a mirror reflecting our own contemporary art consumption. The lithographic medium adds a certain immediacy, a feeling of the constant circulation and critique of image. Editor: I agree that Daumier invites that reflexivity from us as the beholder, while demonstrating a certain mastery of form through precise application of line, shading, and contrast to enhance meaning. In our own performance today as arbiters of taste, it becomes tricky for us to escape what Daumier points out in the original satire. Curator: Absolutely. "Se posant en connaisseurs" serves as a potent reminder of art's complex relationship with social and class dynamics and remains as relevant today as it was in Daumier's time. Editor: It makes me think that sometimes, perhaps, our viewing must include some self-inspection.