Mr. Hume fantasizing about Julius Caesar polishing his boots, plate 388 from Actualités 1857

Editor: So, this lithograph from 1857 by Honoré Daumier, titled "Mr. Hume fantasizing about Julius Caesar polishing his boots," really strikes me as absurd. The figure of Mr. Hume is so elongated and severe, and the whole scene is just so…unexpected. What symbolic meaning do you find in this image? Curator: It’s the unexpected juxtaposition, precisely, that unlocks much of the print’s power. Consider what it means to dream, to fantasize. Daumier is keenly aware of the symbolism attached to historical figures. Caesar, an icon of power, humbled before Mr. Hume. What does that image evoke for you in the context of 19th-century France? Editor: Well, the caption seems pretty straightforward—it’s a fantasy. Maybe it's about social climbing, or just poking fun at bourgeois aspirations? Curator: Yes, but think deeper. Why Caesar? The French Revolution, Napoleon... Rome was often used to mirror French aspirations and anxieties. Here, the imagined servitude of Caesar reveals a psychological craving for status, sure, but also perhaps something more sinister about the period's imperial dreams. It suggests a very deep longing for the power of the Roman empire, yet one performed through subjugation. Do you think there's any critique implied there? Editor: Hmm, I see what you mean. It's not just a simple joke, it's more about anxieties of power. Curator: Precisely. By placing Caesar in such a subservient position, Daumier cleverly reveals a tension between admiring historical power and the desire to dominate, which certainly still echoes today. Editor: That's a totally different way of reading it than I initially had. I’m glad I asked about the symbolism now. Curator: That's the beauty of art, isn't it? Layers of meaning waiting to be uncovered.