Tout n'est pas rose dans l'agriculture ... c. 19th century

This lithograph was created by Honoré Daumier in France, using a relatively new printing process that allowed for the mass production of images. Daumier was a master of this medium, using the greasy crayon-like lithographic stone to create an image of immediacy and biting social commentary. Here, the material itself speaks to the fraught relationship between labor and capital. The quick, sketchy lines, made possible by lithography, convey the relentless toil of agricultural life, the man hunched over a wheelbarrow heavy with dung, contrasted with the woman in her elaborate, clean dress. Daumier's choice of lithography emphasizes the availability of the image, making his commentary on social inequality accessible to a wide audience. The inherent qualities of the lithographic process, with its potential for reproduction, aligns with Daumier's aim to challenge the status quo and provoke thought about the social realities of 19th-century France. This piece invites us to consider the importance of materials and making in understanding the full meaning of an artwork.