"What luck! I killed a sparrow!..." 1864

Curator: What luck! I killed a sparrow!… is the title of this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a simple scene, but packs a punch. Editor: It's mostly stark, you know? The sparse landscape, the spindly figures...and then bam! This burst of pure, unadulterated joy from the hunter. He looks utterly bonkers! Curator: Daumier was a master of social commentary. This work satirizes the bourgeoisie’s aspirations and their often clumsy attempts to emulate aristocratic pastimes like hunting. Editor: Right, the humor is so sharp. He’s made a huge deal about bagging a tiny bird. It’s like me celebrating after managing to boil an egg properly—slightly pathetic, but definitely a win! Curator: It speaks to the democratization of leisure, but also critiques the ways in which social classes performed their roles. Editor: I can almost feel the smugness radiating from him! It's ridiculous and kind of brilliant. Daumier nailed it with a few deft lines. Curator: Absolutely. Daumier’s satirical eye offers a powerful lens through which to view 19th-century French society. Editor: Agreed. Looking at it now, it's so simple but it also makes me question my own small victories. Are they really that meaningful? Food for thought, I suppose.