"My dear friend, my prize..." c. 19th century

Curator: Oh, this is "My dear friend, my prize...", a lithograph by Honoré Daumier. What a deliciously vicious rendering of... friendship? Editor: Vicious is right! Those gaping mouths, the way their chins seem to devour each other… It's grotesque, yet compelling. Like looking into a funhouse mirror reflecting societal greed. Curator: Daumier was a master of social satire, wasn't he? These caricatures were his weapons, skewering the bourgeoisie. Editor: Absolutely! It's Daumier's way of questioning, perhaps even mocking, the supposed values of 19th-century French society. Curator: A dark, insightful piece on the toxic nature of wealth, wouldn’t you say? Editor: It’s fascinating how a simple drawing can reveal so much ugliness, with such elegance.