Il n'ya pas pourtant qu'une heure que je tire! c. 19th century

Editor: This is "Il n'ya pas pourtant qu'une heure que je tire!," a lithograph by Honoré Daumier from the 19th century. It's striking, a black and white image with so much texture created through line work. It feels very satirical. What jumps out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the printing process itself, this lithograph. We must consider the socio-economic factors at play here. Who had access to these images? The mass-produced nature of prints democratized art, allowing commentary on social mores, like the "Moeurs Conjugales" series suggests. The very act of printing facilitated a challenge to established power structures. Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about it in terms of democratization. I was focused on the obvious wealth displayed in the figure's clothing. Curator: Exactly! The material representation of wealth is key. Daumier’s strategic use of readily available and inexpensive lithography is making that opulence accessible – in image form – to a wider audience, including those who are potentially its critics. It makes one question, does art’s value reside only in its material preciousness or also in its social reach? Editor: So, the value is not just in the fine details of the print but also in how it comments on the consumption and display of wealth itself? Curator: Precisely. And further, how the *process* of its creation allows for such commentary to circulate. Consider the labour involved in producing these prints, contrasting it with the leisure suggested by the dandy's pose. This artwork, in its materiality and dissemination, challenges traditional boundaries. Editor: I see now! It's not just the subject but also the method that delivers the social critique. Curator: It's both inextricably linked. Recognizing the labour and material conditions of artmaking enhances our understanding. Editor: I’ll definitely look at prints differently from now on. Thank you. Curator: A crucial element in examining art of any era is recognizing it as a product of its time. Considering both subject and medium is important.