Il faut que vous fassiez encore place... 1852

Editor: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "Il faut que vous fassiez encore place…" from 1852, really strikes me with its chaotic energy. It depicts a crowded train car. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: For me, this lithograph speaks volumes about the changing landscape of 19th-century French society, particularly in how industrial advancements altered material conditions. We see here not just a train, but the tangible result of industrialization. How might the mass production of lithographs and accessibility of train travel be connected? Editor: Well, both became much more accessible to the masses, right? Making art and travel less of a luxury. Curator: Precisely. Daumier, working as a printmaker, directly engages with this democratization of art production. The very materiality of the lithograph – the cheap paper, the repeatable image – mirrors the accessibility of the "trains de plaisir" for a wider populace. He highlights the tensions arising from this new mobility. Notice how the print itself was likely mass-produced, mirroring the overcrowding it depicts. Is there perhaps commentary on social class, then? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, but now I see how the cheapness of the materials might underscore Daumier’s social commentary. The passengers’ discomfort becomes almost a critique of the promises of progress. The struggle for space… it's all there. Curator: Exactly. Daumier, through this lithographic process, makes us consider not only the 'what' of the artwork but also the 'how' and 'for whom.' This challenges the notion of art existing in a vacuum. How has your view changed? Editor: I came in thinking it was just a funny snapshot, but now I realize how the whole process – the mass-produced print, the overcrowded train – it’s all part of the artwork's meaning. Thanks, I have a lot to consider.