Au Théatre Français... 1858

Curator: Honoré Daumier's "Au Théatre Français…" captures a moment at the theatre. It's rendered with expressive lines, a dense network forming the figures. Editor: The mood is heavy, isn't it? The weight of disappointment seems to press down on the male figure in the foreground. Curator: The caption, "Voyons, mon ami...allons nous-en! je t'assure que l'Œdipe-Roi est fini!" suggests a critique of bourgeois boredom amidst high culture. The woman implores her companion to leave. Is she bored, or does she feel alienated? Editor: Notice how Daumier uses hatching to build form. The contrast is striking. See how the loose rendering of the background figures contrasts with the more defined forms in the foreground? Curator: Exactly. Daumier's social commentary is sharp, highlighting a disjunction between social expectation and personal experience. Editor: The raw quality of the lithographic lines conveys immediacy. I'm left pondering the performance of social roles and their discontents. Curator: Indeed, a critical lens onto the audience, not the play itself.