Aspect de salon le jour de l'ouverture ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, Aspect de salon le jour de l'ouverture, in France in 1857, a time of significant social and political change. Daumier cleverly satirizes the Parisian art world, focusing on the opening day of the Salon, a major state-sponsored art exhibition. The print depicts a dense crowd of formally dressed men, presumably members of the bourgeoisie, all vying for a view of the artworks on display. Through caricature, Daumier critiques the superficiality and elitism of the art establishment. His imagery mocks the idea of ‘sixty thousand connoisseurs’ all gathered together. The Salon itself, a powerful institution, determined artistic success and shaped public taste. Through publications like this one, Daumier challenged the norms of the art world, highlighting the disconnect between the art on display and the broader social realities of the time. To understand Daumier's work better, we can look at the history of French art institutions. The resources available in archives and libraries provide a window into the social conditions that shaped artistic production and reception. The meaning of art lies in its social and institutional context.