"Why is he always following me, that animal..." 1854

Curator: This is Honoré Daumier's lithograph, titled "Why is he always following me, that animal..." It resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The stark contrast between the figure and the desolate landscape immediately strikes me. A palpable sense of isolation emanates from this print. Curator: Daumier's use of lithography allows for incredibly nuanced tonal gradations, accentuating the man's weary posture and the disturbing presence of those animals. Editor: Consider, too, the labor required to produce such a print. Each line, etched meticulously into the stone, speaks to the accessibility of image production and its dissemination among the populace. Curator: The man’s turned back and the text beneath invite us to consider his psychological state in relation to the ominous figures. Editor: This piece reveals the societal structures that made such a scene—hunter versus hunted, man versus beast—both possible and, perhaps, inevitable. Curator: Indeed, a perfect reflection of human anxieties of the period, distilled through Daumier's sharp eye. Editor: Yes, and perhaps also a comment on our strained relationship with the natural world, even now.