- What's that you have there?... you there are in a beautiful form!... - The French told us we can eat this with confidence, seeing that it comes from the house of Madame Morreau, who is the mother to the Chinese... 1859

Curator: This is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created sometime around 1859, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. The title, according to the inscription, is "What's that you have there?... you there are in a beautiful form!..." Editor: Oh, my. The caricature! It’s so biting, and immediately evokes a sense of unease. Look at the grotesque exaggeration of features, particularly the noses, in harsh black lines. Curator: Indeed, Daumier was a master of satire. This lithograph depicts three Chinese figures, and it seems to touch upon themes of cultural perception and perhaps even the trustworthiness of foreign goods, with that line about Madame Morreau. Editor: The composition itself tells a story. The figure in the front is confronting, while the other two seem almost furtive. It's visually unsettling, designed to provoke a strong reaction, and perhaps it does. Curator: I find myself wondering what Daumier intended with this piece, and what the audience of the time thought of it. Editor: Well, I’m left pondering how such imagery perpetuates stereotypes, even when cloaked in the guise of satire. It all feels a bit too close to home, even now.