General Lahitte 1850

Editor: Here we have Honoré Daumier's caricature of General Lahitte. It's a lithograph, and quite striking with its exaggerated features. What's fascinating to you about this image, especially considering the political climate of the time? Curator: Daumier's caricatures, like this one, were powerful tools of social commentary. Lahitte, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, was a figure of authority. By exaggerating his features – that enormous nose and flamboyant mustache – Daumier satirizes not just the man, but the entire political class. What do you make of the numbers 22, 23, 24 on the podium? Editor: Perhaps references to specific laws or decrees? Curator: Precisely. Daumier is implicating Lahitte in specific political actions. He wasn't just poking fun; he was engaging in political critique, holding power accountable through the press. It's a reminder of art's vital role in public discourse. Editor: That makes the image even more powerful. I see now how Daumier used caricature as a form of political activism.