Les boyards réduits a cultiver ... c. 19th century

Curator: Look at this, the bitterness practically jumps off the page! Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Les boyards réduits à cultiver ...", which roughly translates to "The Boyards Reduced to Cultivating..." a lithograph print created circa 19th century by Honoré Daumier. It is quite scathing, isn't it? Curator: Oh, it sings with discontent! Daumier's hatching work gives the piece so much gloom, almost scratches it onto you. It feels as relentless as tilling a field, really. What do you think, from a compositional view? Editor: The composition is very clever, actually. See how the figures in the back all hunch forward pulling the plow, a picture of exhausted labour, receding into the background like a drawn out conclusion. Whereas the boyard is foregrounded with his grim, distorted features. Curator: A perfect encapsulation of societal upheaval! Editor: Precisely. There’s a visual rhythm in the repeating curves of their backs contrasting to the sharp angles and intense concentration in the single figure's face, which accentuates his new plight in sharp and somewhat unyielding detail. And consider that horizon, too; not at eye-level, or perhaps our sympathies might shift somewhat, but high up almost cutting him off, a bleak feature to suggest that the nobility have been left out in the cold! Curator: Poor dears. *Wink* Though to me it also shouts a certain cyclical fate –those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, or till it, in this case! The material itself aids it further. The harsh black lines of lithography feel unforgiving, much like societal judgment. It feels more than realism: It's emotional reportage! Editor: That resonates, certainly. Daumier uses a relatively constrained palette to evoke a very direct social criticism here, blending artistry with political comment very adroitly, creating, finally, an accessible yet pointed portrayal of forced social reform. Curator: Art with a vengeance then. A sort of graphic agitprop... fascinating stuff. Editor: An exemplary conclusion to Daumier’s work, then; thank you!