"There it is!...my country house!..." 1862

Curator: This is Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "There it is!...my country house!..." part of the series " প্যারিসিয়ান স্কিচস" at Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks desolate, doesn't it? This trio seems so proud to be going absolutely nowhere. It's bleak and funny all at once. Curator: Daumier masterfully uses satire to critique social climbing in 19th-century France. The "country house" likely symbolizes hollow aspirations and class pretensions. Editor: Exactly! The man pointing, he seems to be asserting dominance over nothing! That barren landscape really drives home the point. Curator: The stark contrast between the figures' aspirations and the reality of their surroundings speaks to the enduring human desire for status, despite all evidence to the contrary. Editor: Right. The parasol, the top hat, the gesture… it's all performative, an illusion of grandeur. Curator: It's a reminder that symbols are only as meaningful as the weight we give them. Editor: Well, that's a good way to describe the symbolism here. A little honesty can go a long way.