“- Well yes, it's true, the daughter of Mame Chopin got married yesterday with the son of Durand. I just talked to the young man and from what he told me (in full confidence), she must have had some strange ones before him…,” plate 6 from Les Parisiens 1840

Curator: Looking at this lithograph, what immediately captures your attention? Editor: Well, the linear quality, the stark contrast. It's a rather economical composition, yet it feels pregnant with unspoken meaning. Curator: Indeed. This is Honoré Daumier’s plate 6 from "Les Parisiens," created in 1840. The full title is quite a mouthful: “- Well yes, it's true, the daughter of Mame Chopin got married yesterday with the son of Durand. I just talked to the young man and from what he told me (in full confidence), she must have had some strange ones before him…,” Editor: Ah, so immediately we’re placed in the sphere of gossip. Daumier certainly excels at rendering the subtleties of human expression, doesn't he? The man, leaning in, the crinkling around his eyes; and the woman's guarded posture, a slight tightening of the lips. Curator: Precisely. And understanding the societal context is key. Daumier used lithography to critique the bourgeoisie and their often hypocritical values. Gender and class are crucial here. A young woman’s reputation in 19th-century Paris was everything. To have "some strange ones" before marriage... Editor: Catastrophic. But even without knowing the specific social implications, one can read the exchange as deeply judgmental. His manipulation of line is masterful. Notice how Daumier uses hatching to give volume to the figures and delineate the space between them, but the background remains unarticulated, which in itself speaks to the closed, claustrophobic nature of their exchange. Curator: A sort of social enclosure. He presents the personal failings as matters for public consumption. This drawing certainly prompts questions about the relationship between individual behavior and public opinion. Editor: For sure. Daumier’s genius lies in embedding narratives within seemingly simple forms, sparking endless interpretive possibilities. I am left pondering upon how the print renders moral evaluation by emphasizing subtle lines in these faces. Curator: And considering its themes of judgment and societal expectation, it continues to speak powerfully to contemporary audiences. Editor: A successful print, marrying a formal brilliance to nuanced narrative and relevant societal insights.