Ayant trop fêté la Saint-Hubert c. 19th century

Curator: Allow me to introduce a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created in the 19th century: Ayant trop fêté la Saint-Hubert. It depicts two somewhat unsteady gentlemen. Editor: Well, my first impression is…woozy. The exaggerated features and unstable postures convey a definite sense of inebriation. And that rather bleak landscape in the background only reinforces a feeling of desolation. Curator: As a lithograph, its creation speaks to the rise of print culture and mass dissemination in 19th-century France. This technique allowed Daumier to reach a wide audience, and prints like this would have been reproduced in newspapers. Editor: It seems likely that the symbols would have resonated particularly well for people during this era. Saint Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, would certainly suggest a specific festive event centered around hunting traditions. But their clumsiness mocks that ideal. Curator: Consider the paper itself. A relatively inexpensive medium would have allowed more widespread consumption. We see Daumier commenting on contemporary social life, not creating an artwork solely for the elite. His use of graphite shows its versatility for on the go sketching too! Editor: I see how their clothes also signal a specific social class, that suggests specific attitudes. It brings the work to another dimension. The composition creates the idea of mockery of romantic figures. Curator: Precisely! This allows him to criticize bourgeois society through genre-painting in mass culture. We cannot also deny its influences on social critique by showing characters celebrating tradition in an ironic and satiric way. Editor: Exactly! This combination gives the figures depth that goes past its surface level of creation. I find myself really captivated by its narrative ability as a symbol. Curator: Considering Daumier's keen observations regarding societal changes and modes of material production, examining these components truly shapes my reading of this piece. Editor: For me, pondering the meaning these visual signifiers carried and still carry unveils our continuing need to find narrative.