Count Auguste-Hilarion de Kératry (1769-1859), Deputy, Peer of France 1832

Curator: Welcome. Before us is an arresting sculpture by Honoré Daumier, created in 1832: Count Auguste-Hilarion de Kératry, Deputy, Peer of France. Editor: Well, that's… intense. The expression, almost a sneer, and the materiality, the way the light plays on the roughened surface, gives it such palpable force. Curator: It’s rendered in wood, a carving likely finished with charcoal or a similar medium to enhance its dramatic contrasts. Look closely; the modelling, especially around the mouth and eyes, is powerfully expressive, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. This exaggerated facial structure and smile, they remind me of medieval gargoyles—a caricature of power and the corrupting influence of political standing. Curator: Yes! The symbolic resonance is undeniable. Daumier, a master satirist, often targeted the French political elite, using caricature to critique their moral failings. Editor: The tight, forced smile. What's underneath the superficial affability? Is it ambition, self-importance, ruthlessness even? Daumier cleverly captures the essence of political performance. Curator: Observe the artist’s compositional choices. The strong horizontal emphasis and dark tones impart a sense of weightiness, anchoring Kératry in a physical and metaphorical space of power. Editor: And it speaks to the universal human condition, beyond this specific individual and this era, right? The dangers of unchecked power, hubris… It's perpetually relevant. Curator: A testament to art's power, how an artist, using the simplest of means – wood and line – can create something both so historically grounded and universally evocative. Editor: It certainly invites a deep introspection about the symbols and meanings we assign to images of power. Thank you for pointing this out!