A Secondhand Book Dealer in Ecstasy 1844

Curator: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier is titled "A Secondhand Book Dealer in Ecstasy." Editor: The expressions! It's as if they've uncovered some sacred relic. The one holding the book appears to be in a state of religious fervor. Curator: Indeed, Daumier's focus on the printed word, especially secondhand books, tells us much about the accessibility of knowledge and culture during his time. Lithography allowed for relatively inexpensive reproductions. Editor: I see echoes of the past in their faces, almost caricatures, yet filled with genuine excitement. What stories lie within that small volume they clutch so dearly? Curator: The material conditions of book production made this kind of accessible knowledge possible for wider audiences. Editor: It speaks volumes about the power of symbols and the enduring human desire for connection with something greater than oneself. It seems, that even common books can embody the sublime.