Oh! It's true ! You have eyes like the lamps on your carriage. . . c. 19th century

Curator: This is "Oh! It's true! You have eyes like the lamps on your carriage...," a lithograph by Paul Gavarni. The Harvard Art Museums holds this intriguing work. Editor: It strikes me as a rather intimate and perhaps unsettling scene, with a child seemingly invading the personal space of a seated figure. Curator: Gavarni, born in 1804, was deeply engaged with portraying Parisian life. Lithography, as a process, democratized image production, making social commentary accessible. Editor: The child's act might be interpreted as a challenge to class structures, or perhaps an inversion of traditional power dynamics. It raises questions about innocence and social conditioning. Curator: Indeed, considering Gavarni's involvement with journals like "Le Charivari", this piece might serve as commentary on societal norms through accessible prints, focusing on the material conditions of everyday life and their representation. Editor: Ultimately, this image captures a moment of ambiguous interaction that resonates with broader social and personal power dynamics. Curator: A lasting impression, showing how the means of production and distribution of an artwork can shape its message.