"Sir, I offer you my respects and my daughter" from Metamorphoses of the Day 1829

Editor: This lithograph and etching by J.J. Grandville, made in 1829, is called “Sir, I offer you my respects and my daughter” from Metamorphoses of the Day, now at the Met. It depicts figures with animal heads in formal wear. The scene feels satirical to me, almost like a commentary on arranged marriages, but the animal heads add a bizarre twist. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on social structures of 19th-century France. Grandville frequently used anthropomorphic figures – animals with human characteristics – to critique the bourgeoisie and aristocracy. The animal heads, rather than being merely bizarre, serve to dehumanize the subjects, exposing what he sees as their base, animalistic drives related to wealth and status. Editor: So, the animal heads aren't random? Curator: Not at all. The choice of specific animals is often symbolic. We see this wealthy fish figure offering his daughter to, what seems to be, a man with the head of an owl. Consider the period after the French Revolution. The aristocracy was attempting to hold onto power in the face of rising social and economic changes. This is potentially why Grandville critiqued these figures. How do you see this work connecting to Romanticism? Editor: I guess I assumed the animal heads indicated Romanticism. I figured that linked back to its focus on emotion and imagination, rejecting rational thought. Curator: It’s true Romanticism emphasized those things. The social critique, though, situates this in its specific historical moment. Do you think the location of this piece within a major institution changes your view on the artist's social critique? Editor: I never thought of that. It’s like the artwork has been somewhat absorbed into the thing it’s mocking, I guess? Curator: Precisely. And that tension between art, social commentary, and institutional validation is part of what makes art history so fascinating. Editor: Absolutely! It gives me a lot to think about. Thanks for your insight into this print.