Un cauchemar de Mimi c. 19th century

Editor: So, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, “Un cauchemar de Mimi,” from the 19th century, depicts a rather agitated sleeper. I am struck by the contrast between the darkly rendered, almost grotesque figures of Mimi's nightmare and the relative calm of her sleeping figure. What symbols jump out at you when you see this print? Curator: It’s fascinating how Daumier uses symbolic language to depict Mimi’s anxieties. Consider the figure wielding what appears to be an enormous enema syringe. Think about the period – the 19th century. The bourgeoisie was obsessed with hygiene and often relied on dubious medical procedures. Isn't it curious that this figure, poised like a puppeteer controlling Mimi's fate, wears the clothing of the theater, "Charivari", with a spiderweb with a text reading "Fête de Regnault"? It hints at manipulation, spectacle, and even fear of ridicule connected with Regnault, an important figure at the time. What emotions do those elements evoke for you? Editor: Fear, definitely! The oversized syringe, combined with that almost demonic figure controlling it… it feels like a violation of the body and maybe a mockery of contemporary obsessions. And what's the significance of this Regnault's feast written on the spiderweb? Curator: That is most likely related to Charles Régnault, the finance minister at the time. I suggest the spiderweb symbolizes the complex, potentially entangling web of financial affairs that weigh on the public consciousness. The 'fête' or celebration being trapped there perhaps implies that it is ill-conceived or that Régnault's policies ensnare the vulnerable. This alludes to anxieties around economics and social structures. So it connects on one hand to political caricature and, on the other, to that primal fear we experience in the throes of a nightmare. Editor: I see now! Daumier used those elements together to visualize a wider range of anxieties about contemporary French society. It's pretty powerful to see how those anxieties played out in someone’s dreamscape! Curator: Exactly. And recognizing those symbols allows us to see Daumier using his craft to communicate those anxieties in ways that a direct statement never could. It connects us through our history to past times.