7 heures du matin 1839

Curator: Honore Daumier's "7 Heures du Matin," made in 1839, depicts a gentleman awakening, surrounded by his pets. The medium is lithography. Editor: It has a curiously intimate yet comical feel. There's something about the scratchy lines and slightly exaggerated features that gives it this awkward but endearing quality. Curator: Indeed. Daumier, known for his social and political caricatures, utilizes the relatively new medium of lithography here to great effect. The affordability of printmaking allowed for widespread dissemination of images like this one, thus influencing social consciousness. Editor: Observe the man's nightcap, almost like a jester's hat. The cat vying for his attention near his feet, with the dog similarly positioned – could these animals signify aspects of domesticity or perhaps opposing forces of loyalty and independence within himself? Curator: Interesting perspective! This particular print touches on genre painting. Consider also the material aspects. The roughness of the lithographic stone contributes to the work’s gritty, immediate feeling, contrasting sharply with the smooth surfaces idealized in academic painting of the era. The reproduction enabled wider social observation and critiquing through accessible imagery, revealing Daumier’s commentary on bourgeois life and the bachelor's state. Editor: Note also how the dark shadows around the room draw the eye toward the single illuminated figure. The bedside table is simple, the garments discarded suggestively over the chair -- small details contribute to the overall intimate, albeit humorous narrative of this morning ritual. Perhaps this evokes deeper ideas about solitude, and the peculiar comfort one might derive from it? Curator: It's quite fascinating how a seemingly simple genre scene reflects deeper shifts in art production and its connection to social commentary. Editor: It does leave us to ponder the private worlds behind public personae, using symbols drawn from our own human connection to animals.