"She pleases me very much, that little lady...even if she does look like my wife!" 1852

Editor: So, this is Honoré Daumier's "She pleases me very much, that little lady...even if she does look like my wife!". It's a lithograph. The scene feels a bit cynical, maybe even cruel. What's your read on it? Curator: Daumier's work often served as social commentary, published in periodicals. Consider the emerging bourgeoisie in 1850s Paris. What role do you think satire played in shaping public opinion about them? Editor: I guess he's poking fun at their values, maybe their hypocrisy? Curator: Precisely. The print media allowed artists like Daumier to engage in a visual dialogue with the public. Did these images reinforce or challenge the status quo? Editor: It's interesting to think about art as a tool for social critique. I hadn’t considered the public role of art back then so much. Curator: Indeed, art is rarely created in a vacuum.