The Notorious Pageboy 1841

Editor: This is "The Notorious Pageboy" by Honoré Daumier. It looks like a lithograph. What do you make of the stark contrast in this image? Curator: The pageboy’s hunched posture, juxtaposed with the grand carriage, speaks volumes. Think about the wheel itself – a symbol of fortune, constantly turning. Is Daumier suggesting the pageboy is trapped on the lower spoke? Editor: Maybe? Or that he is enabling the upper class's lifestyle by keeping the wheel turning. Curator: Exactly. He's trapped, but he's also complicit. It makes one consider how societal structures perpetuate themselves through these silent agreements. Editor: That's a different way to look at it; thank you!