J'ai parlé ... trois heures et demie! c. 19th century

Curator: Well, here we have "J'ai parlé ... trois heures et demie!" a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, dating back to approximately the 19th century. What strikes you first? Editor: Those smug expressions! And the heavy robes, they’re like giant beetles plotting something. The lines are so expressive, almost manic. There’s a real energy, even in this static image. Curator: Indeed! The exaggeration of their features is a key element. Caricature was a powerful tool, wasn't it? Look at how their smiles become almost grotesque, suggesting something beyond simple humor. They become symbols of the lawyer class, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Absolutely. It feels like Daumier is saying something about the length and avarice of legal proceedings... Look how one gestures while referencing time on his watch as they confer. The text further clarifies, pointing out payment by the hour, that really emphasizes it for me. Curator: Precisely! And in their hats and dark robes, you almost wonder if it’s supposed to recall religious vestments in a sacrilegious kind of way... there's the performative aspect of law too. How much of the work is justice and how much is simply playacting and haggling? Editor: And it really brings out how much hasn’t changed! Still wearing robes and putting on a show… And being compensated in very questionable ways. There's a deep cynicism here that’s unsettlingly contemporary. Curator: Daumier’s lasting appeal lies, I think, in his ability to distill complex societal anxieties into these wonderfully economical images. The way he utilizes a genre painting style is used in tandem with Romantic expression. The weight and import are still so relevant today. Editor: Right, like a visual time capsule filled with timeless human foibles. Makes you wonder what future generations will make of our caricatures.