A New Year's Visit... to Aunt Rabourdin 1847

Editor: This print, "A New Year's Visit... to Aunt Rabourdin" by Honoré Daumier, has a somber feel to it, despite depicting what should be a warm social interaction. What's your take on Daumier's commentary here? Curator: Daumier was deeply invested in critiquing the bourgeoisie and their rigid social rituals. Consider the title, which suggests obligation rather than genuine affection. How does the artist use body language to reinforce this idea of forced interaction and alienation within societal structures? Editor: I see what you mean. The figures seem stiff, not really connected. There's a sense of performance in their interactions. Curator: Exactly! And who benefits from these performances? Daumier uses satire to expose the power dynamics at play within the domestic sphere and question the supposed values of the bourgeoisie. Food for thought, isn't it? Editor: It really is. I'll never look at a New Year's greeting the same way again!