"Oursikov! ...Do you find that a good likeness?" 1854

Curator: This is "Oursikov! ...Do you find that a good likeness?" by Honoré Daumier. Daumier was born in 1808 and died in 1879. This print currently resides at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a chaotic scene, isn't it? The etching feels frenetic, almost like the artist couldn’t wait to get his point across with those scratchy lines. Curator: Daumier used lithography extensively, allowing him to create these satirical images rapidly for mass consumption. The print depicts a Russian officer examining a portrait of himself. Editor: The scale is fascinating. Look at the grandiose hat with that figure perched on top compared to the mountains of paperwork on the table! It speaks to power, ambition, and the crushing weight of bureaucracy. Curator: The context is crucial. Daumier often used his art to critique political figures and social injustices. This particular print lampoons Russian ambition and expansionism during a period of heightened European tension. Editor: I’m drawn to the tangible feel of the lines, the way they suggest the texture of the uniform and the cheap paper of the print itself. It’s all about the material conditions of both the subject and the art’s creation. Curator: Indeed. This print offers a window into the socio-political climate of 19th-century Europe. Editor: A powerful reminder of how art can reflect and shape the world around it.