Man leest opmerkelijk nieuws in de krant Le Constitutionnel 1846

Editor: Here we have "Man reading remarkable news in the paper 'Le Constitutionnel,'" a lithograph and pen drawing by Honoré Daumier from 1846, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The textures created with pen and lithography give it such an intimate and immediate feel. What captures your attention most in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is the commodification of information at the time, displayed as news printed for bourgeois consumption. Consider the lithographic process – a repeatable medium allowing for the mass dissemination of imagery and, importantly, ideas. Daumier uses this very technology to critique the consumption habits of the bourgeoisie. Editor: So you see the lithograph not just as a drawing, but as part of a larger system of mass media? Curator: Precisely! It questions the labor involved in creating these images and its accessibility to a wide audience. Think about who controls the printing press, what information they choose to circulate, and to what end. How might this image be received differently if it were a unique painting hung in a wealthy home? Editor: That’s interesting. The means of production influences how the artwork can speak to its viewers, whether it's meant for the elites or broader public. And it emphasizes that the value isn't inherent; it is intertwined with its accessibility. Curator: Absolutely. And that tension – between art as a commodity and as a vehicle for social commentary – remains relevant today. What did you make of the expressions? Editor: Their expressions really tie into this now that I think of the mass consumption of media: skepticism and rapt attention, simultaneously. So, by showing these reactions to the news, he’s commenting on how this family internalizes this medium. It makes me think more about where our media comes from. Curator: Precisely! And questioning the structures of material production behind our world, is essential to how we see and understand works of art.