Vijf carnavalsvierders aan het ontbijt 1840

Paul Gavarni made this lithograph, ‘Five Carnival Revellers at Breakfast’, in France in the mid-19th century. The image speaks to the social function of Carnival and its disruption of norms. Gavarni shows us a boisterous scene, with costumed figures gathered around a table after a night of revelry. Carnival, traditionally held before Lent, allowed for a temporary suspension of social hierarchies. People from different classes mingled, and traditional roles were often reversed. Here, we see an embrace of masquerade and role-play, with a blackface figure central to the composition. The consumption of food and drink was also central to the Carnival ethos of excess. In the context of 19th-century Paris, Gavarni’s print captures the vibrant and often chaotic energy of this annual celebration. To fully understand the image, a social historian might research the visual culture of Carnival in 19th-century Paris and the representation of race in popular imagery. The Bibliothèque Nationale de France is a good resource for doing that. This print prompts us to consider the role of art in both reflecting and shaping social attitudes.