"Missus, let's leave... This nakedness is revolting..." 1866

Curator: Here we have Honoré Daumier's "Missus, let's leave... This nakedness is revolting...", currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The immediate impression I get is one of discomfort, the angular lines and almost frantic strokes creating a sense of unease. Editor: Absolutely. The lithographic process, allowing for mass reproduction, meant Daumier could directly address the burgeoning bourgeois class. The stark contrast and visible marks of the crayon on stone serve to amplify the satire here. Curator: Precisely. The visual language used by Daumier challenges the hypocrisy of the elite. The man's supposed disgust with the art seems performative, a way to assert his perceived moral superiority. Editor: Yes, and it speaks volumes about power dynamics. He’s controlling his wife's gaze, limiting her access to potentially subversive imagery. It underscores how societal norms dictate what women can and cannot see, reflecting broader constraints on their freedom. Curator: Reflecting on it, the work's power lies in its ability to provoke. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about class, gender, and the very act of looking. Editor: Indeed, and by examining the means of its creation, we gain insight into the social fabric Daumier aimed to critique, a fabric still relevant today.