"You are coming to dinner, my wife dines in town." c. 19th century

Curator: Here we see "You are coming to dinner, my wife dines in town," a lithograph by Honoré Daumier. Editor: The scratchy lines give it such a frantic, yet darkly humorous feel. Are these gentlemen up to no good, I wonder? Curator: Daumier, known for his caricatures, often critiques societal norms. The title suggests a clandestine meeting, laden with cultural anxieties about infidelity and class. Editor: Lithography allowed for mass production, thus making social satire available to a broader audience. The very making of it speaks to a desire for social commentary. Curator: Indeed. The gesture of the handshake itself, seemingly innocent, becomes fraught with implications—a symbol of deceit or, perhaps, of male solidarity against the domestic sphere? Editor: The material choice is interesting. It’s a print, so it’s repeatable, disposable even. A commentary maybe on the fleeting nature of morality itself. Curator: It invites us to contemplate the visual language of social critique. Editor: The means of reproduction amplify the message. A compelling piece when considered this way.