In the Process of Charming an Entire Society... 1852

Curator: In Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "In the Process of Charming an Entire Society...", we see a figure mid-performance, seemingly dominating the space. What's your immediate impression? Editor: A stage, a spotlight, a bellowing baritone, and a society ready to be charmed—or overwhelmed! The energy practically leaps off the page. Curator: Daumier, working in 19th-century France, used lithography extensively to comment on bourgeois society. Note the mass-produced nature of prints; they democratized art and information. Editor: And this specific scene captures the essence of performance—the labor, the expectation, and that absurd gap between the two. It’s a caricature, of course, but also a tender, almost empathetic portrait. Curator: Indeed. The material conditions of its creation, the very act of printing, underscore the social commentary it provides. Food for thought, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at a lithograph the same way again!