"What's that? you mean the statues are in the cellar?...I'm not going to see them, I'm afraid of rats!... 1857

Curator: This is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, a French printmaker active in the 19th century. The title is quite a mouthful: "What's that? you mean the statues are in the cellar?...I'm not going to see them, I'm afraid of rats!" Editor: It's funny how the cage-like barrier and shadowy cellar really amplify the sense of disdain and almost fear in these viewers. Curator: Daumier used his art as social commentary. This piece criticizes the presentation of sculpture at the Salon, highlighting the public's disconnection from high art when it’s made inaccessible or unappealing. Editor: Absolutely. The coarseness of the line work, the unflattering caricatures – they all speak to a critique of bourgeois sensibilities and the art world's own failings. Curator: Indeed, he reveals the art world as perceived from the outside. Editor: It makes you wonder about the relationship between the art and its audience. Curator: It seems Daumier questions how art is made available and understood by the public, a question that remains quite relevant today.