"You're not touching your beer..." 1849

Curator: This is Honoré Daumier's, "You're not touching your beer..." A glimpse into Parisian bourgeois life. It's hard to put a date on it, but Daumier was at his peak in the mid-19th century. Editor: There’s a palpable tension, almost theatrical. The figures seem caught between leisure and judgment, doesn’t it strike you that way? Curator: Absolutely. Daumier was a master of social commentary. He used lithography to critique the values of the rising middle class. Editor: I wonder what the story is, between the scolding man and the seated fellow. Is this a snapshot of changing norms? Curator: Precisely. The rise of private dining rooms, social anxieties, it's all there. He captured these nuances with incredible insight. Editor: It’s like looking through a keyhole into a past era, and feeling like we know these characters. Curator: Yes, Daumier’s ability to connect with viewers across time, is, I think, what makes him so compelling.