"The Sun Is So Beautiful . . ." 1843

Editor: This print by Honoré Daumier, titled "The Sun Is So Beautiful . . .," depicts a group of men in what seems to be a downpour. The expressions are so dramatic! What do you see in this piece beyond the obvious theatricality? Curator: Daumier's work often satirizes Parisian society. Consider the title ironically against the grim scene. How does this contrast reflect on the public role of artists and musicians in that period? Editor: So, the "beautiful sun" might be mocking their deluded optimism or perhaps their disconnection from reality? Curator: Precisely! Daumier was a master of visual commentary. The exaggerated expressions and the heavy rain serve to critique the perceived absurdities of the artistic elite and their patrons. What do you make of the location? Editor: It's clearly a street, with the building behind. The setting emphasizes their exposure, physically and perhaps socially? It sounds like he's using the image to make a potent statement about the politics of imagery. Curator: Exactly! It makes you reflect on the times and wonder what it must have been like to live in that particular era. It is very insightful of you to notice this.