"How much is your hare, friend?" "Oh sir, for a hunter, it is worth 8 francs!" 1858

Curator: Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "How much is your hare, friend? Oh sir, for a hunter, it is worth 8 francs!", presents us with a seemingly simple exchange. The artist died in 1879, but the work is undated. Editor: It’s stark, isn’t it? The quick, almost frantic lines creating a sense of immediacy and a subtle discomfort. It feels like we are intruding on a private transaction. Curator: Daumier often used the motif of hunting to critique social hierarchies, the rabbit symbolizing vulnerability and the hunt representing exploitation. The text below the image is particularly revealing. Editor: Yes, but look at the material itself—lithography allowed for mass production and wide distribution. These images reached a broad audience and provoked thought, reflecting everyday life. Curator: Exactly. The exchange also speaks to shifting values. The hunter, presumably wealthy, seeks to acquire a symbol of nature, while the peasant values it in monetary terms. The dog’s upward gaze adds to this feeling. Editor: A fascinating intersection of labor, value, and social commentary. The immediacy of the medium amplifies the directness of the message. Curator: Indeed. A visual distillation of social realities, rendered through a potent symbolic lens. Editor: The print leaves us pondering what is truly of value.