Tent deux degrés!!! c. 19th century

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "Trente deux degrés!!!" created around the 19th century. The figures, slumped in their chairs, seem almost defeated by the heat, even the poor dog! It's a simple domestic scene, but it speaks volumes. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the surface depiction of summertime languor, I see a commentary on the bourgeois experience. Consider the time it was created; Daumier critiqued the societal norms and political landscape. How does the comfort, or perhaps *over*-comfort, portrayed here contrast with the realities for most Parisians? Editor: That’s a really interesting point, the contrast. Their idleness, now that you mention it, feels almost like a deliberate jab at the privileged. Do you think the print's distribution played a role in its social impact? Curator: Absolutely. Lithographs were relatively accessible. Circulating satirical images like this offered a visual challenge to the established order. How do you think this image participated in shaping public opinion, even subtly? Editor: I suppose seeing their leaders, or at least representations of the wealthy, presented in such an unflattering light, would chip away at their authority. It's funny, relatable, and subversive all at once. Curator: Precisely. The public role of art is very powerful in affecting social perception. And how does the setting of the scene enhance the commentary on privilege, in your opinion? Editor: It's clearly not a slum, but also not overly opulent. It is comfortable, highlighting middle-class aspirations maybe? Curator: Indeed. So, it's less a condemnation of aristocracy and more a playful observation of the growing middle class and its aspirations. Editor: This was eye opening. I hadn't considered the political power of something seemingly as simple as a summer cartoon. Curator: Exactly! It shows us how the everyday becomes a vehicle for social and political analysis through art.