Bavant pour se desennuyer c. 19th century

Curator: This lithograph, “Buvant pour se désennuyer,” which loosely translates to “Drinking to Banish Boredom,” and “Avant réellement soif,” which means "Really Thirsty," dates from around the 19th century. It's the work of Honoré Daumier, a master of social satire through printmaking. The medium perfectly captures his incisive commentary on Parisian society. Editor: Oh, right away I get this biting sense of...class disparity, and this strange longing. The figures upstairs, all prim and proper, drinking for the sake of appearances. It just feels performative, almost suffocating. Curator: Daumier had such a keen eye for social absurdities, didn’t he? The top scene feels stiflingly artificial; it’s titled "Paris qui Boit." All those ornate details...it reeks of bored privilege. And that servant's face, trapped in perpetual servitude! You're right, there’s almost a feeling of imprisonment. Editor: Exactly! Then look below. A working man and even a horse drinking heartily from a public fountain—the contrast couldn't be starker. He's implying these bourgeois lives are as soulless and artificial as to water from a dirty fountain. Curator: It’s also in Daumier’s line work, the loose, frenetic lines creating a sense of unease upstairs, versus the more grounded quality in the lower panel. But I'm always struck by the double standard, the judgement aimed at different economic strata. Daumier doesn’t spare anyone, especially here with this reference to "Paris Boit" from above as being the opposite from needing the real thirst of below. Editor: Daumier saw what was happening on those gilded and dusty Parisian streets. You’re left pondering about whether seeking enjoyment is something you are entitled to because you have or if it should just be given to anyone in public. His political stance against inequality and social injustice has staying power that lasts for centuries! Curator: Absolutely, it’s all food for thought about inequality, our needs, our aspirations, or even access to leisure that you would even banish your boredom with a sip from a cup in fancy china... And perhaps most profoundly: whose thirst actually gets quenched in this world. Editor: Agreed. "Buvant pour se désennuyer"... that single phrase makes it worth studying, because even drinking is something you can get tired of! The title says it all about those with no thirst.