“- It's really quite flattering to have one's portrait exhibited at the Salon,” plate 7 from Le Salon De 1857 1857

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, plate 7 from "Le Salon de 1857," using strokes of black ink on paper. At first glance, the composition is dominated by a large portrait hanging on the wall above a proud gentleman admiring the very same picture. The rough, expressive lines of the lithograph convey a sense of immediacy. Daumier masterfully employs caricature to undermine the pomposity of the Salon and its patrons. Notice how the man's self-satisfied expression mirrors the portrait above him. The woman looks askance, suggesting a more sober assessment. Daumier destabilizes the traditional portrait's role as a status symbol by infusing it with irony and satire. The artist also invites us to question the very idea of representation and reception by using the semiotic system. The print becomes a commentary on the act of viewing itself. The rough, unfinished quality of the lines emphasizes the print's status as a mass-produced image rather than a unique work of art. This challenges established notions of artistic value and originality.