"This room's too dirty, take a moment to sweep it" 1834

Curator: Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "This room's too dirty, take a moment to sweep it," presents an interesting commentary on power. What are your first impressions? Editor: Well, it strikes me as cynical, yet hopeful. The figure sweeps away what looks like political documents, but with a certain… weariness. Like he’s done this before. Curator: Daumier often critiqued bourgeois society. The lithographic process itself allowed for mass production, making his art accessible as social critique. Editor: It's the materiality, the mass-produced print, that makes it democratic, a protest available to all. I like the way Daumier depicts the sweeper: a man of the people, making way for the new. Curator: Yes, he's clearing the stage. The broom becomes a tool of social reform, a physical manifestation of change. Editor: Maybe this room will be clean one day. Still, he seems to know the sweeping is never done. Curator: Indeed. It leaves me contemplating the ongoing labor required for social progress. Editor: And it reminds me that sometimes, a good cleaning is exactly what we need.