Les Propos de Thomas Vireloque: The old story, my lambkins 1852

Paul Gavarni created this lithograph, "Les Propos de Thomas Vireloque: The old story, my lambkins," capturing a moment of storytelling. The composition is strikingly divided. On one side, a ragged figure stands, back turned, dominating the space with tattered clothing rendered in stark, expressive lines. This figure contrasts sharply with the group of attentive children and a distant, well-dressed man. The lithographic technique emphasizes texture, highlighting the rough materiality of the storyteller's garments against the smooth faces of his audience. The arrangement invites us to consider the dynamics of narrative and spectatorship. Gavarni challenges us to consider the relationship between the storyteller and his audience. What does it mean to present the storyteller as a figure of destitution, almost alienated from those he entertains? Gavarni uses these formal contrasts to destabilize social categories, prompting a re-evaluation of value and representation.