Charles-Malo-François, Comte de Lameth c. 1832 - 1940

Editor: This is "Charles-Malo-François, Comte de Lameth," a bronze sculpture by Honoré Daumier, likely created sometime between 1832 and 1840. It feels intensely psychological, like we're glimpsing something beyond just a portrait. What jumps out at you when you see this piece? Curator: It’s that rough texture, isn’t it? Daumier really embraced the immediacy of clay before casting it. You can almost feel the artist's hands at work, those quick, almost brutal, gestures. To me, it's a study in power, not just of the subject, a Count no less, but the artist's power to *define* him, or perhaps *deconstruct* him is more like it? Editor: Deconstruct him? Interesting. So, you're suggesting Daumier isn't just showing us what Lameth looks like, but commenting on his status or something? Curator: Exactly. Consider Daumier was known for his caricatures, his social critique. Look at the brow, the downturned mouth – is that weariness? Disappointment? It’s as though he's subtly peeling back the layers of nobility, hinting at the human being beneath the title. And isn't bronze, usually so regal, almost earthy here, mirroring that exposed humanity? Editor: That makes me see it differently. It’s not just a portrait; it’s a statement. All that roughness now looks intentional, like Daumier is purposefully disrupting the idealization you'd expect. Curator: Precisely. It's a romantic era portrayal with a satirical twist, and that contrast, that tension, is what makes it so compelling. Do you agree that it is what creates such lasting emotion when viewing the piece? Editor: I think so. Seeing how the artist challenges my initial assumptions changes the viewing experience entirely. Curator: Agreed, art isn't always pretty, sometimes, art holds up a mirror for us all.