Bertrand and Raton 1854

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier’s “Bertrand and Raton.” It is a lithograph, and it feels very theatrical to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, first off, the energy! Daumier just nails the ridiculousness of human drama. These characters, these... archetypes, are caught in a moment of high-stakes folly. Do you get a sense of satire here? Editor: I think so! The expressions are so exaggerated. Curator: Exactly! It's like Daumier is holding up a mirror to society, reflecting back our own silliness. It really makes you think about the stories we tell ourselves, doesn’t it? Editor: It definitely does. It feels like a scene from a play, but also like... real life? Curator: That’s Daumier's magic. He shows us that life *is* a play.