Pardon...je suis courtier de commerce... c. 19th century

Curator: Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "Pardon...je suis courtier de commerce…," from the 19th century, presents us with an intriguing scenario. Editor: It feels immediately unsettling, a darkly comic air hangs about it. The etching technique really enhances the stark contrast. Curator: Precisely. Daumier was known for his commentary on French society. As a lithograph, the image would have been widely reproduced and circulated, allowing for broad social critique. Editor: The material aspect is fascinating. Lithography allowed for detailed line work—see the man's exaggerated features—but also quicker production compared to engraving. A democratizing tool, really. Who is the visitor? Curator: Indeed, the very title offers insight: "Excuse me, I'm a trade broker..." He's likely a funeral broker, if you carefully look at the lower description in old french "... attached to funeral pumps [services] ...". He's come to solicit the clearly ailing man in bed! Editor: The composition supports that. His leaning stance, holding his hat, contrasted with the wealthy furnishings behind hints a pointed class commentary about this negotiation between life, death, and money, all happening within a private interior but meant for the public consumption via prints. Curator: Note also how the man on the bed looks at peace with the wine bottle next to his bed! Also the curtains framing the scene feel almost theatrical, accentuating the staged nature of the encounter, where economic anxieties play out. Editor: I am stuck at how the drawing, though produced via a repeatable process of printing, conveys such raw feeling about labour! A commentary on how art portrays work—or lack of in some cases– within shifting economic structures. Curator: I agree, and thinking about Daumier’s life and the various publications in which his work appeared—it reveals not only the mechanics of producing art but also art’s powerful political function in a time of rapid change. Editor: This reminds me of what you just said, I'm amazed how much this seemingly simple print encourages me to consider the intertwined strands of economy, mortality, and art-making. Curator: Absolutely! Seeing his work through that socio-historical prism really highlights Daumier's shrewd engagement with the society of his time.