Voila des gens ont une ... fichue maniére ... c. 19th century

Curator: This lithograph, "Voila des gens ont une ... fichue manière ...," from the 19th century, comes to us courtesy of Honoré Daumier, a master of social caricature. What jumps out at you? Editor: Oh, pure silliness! There’s something immediately funny and awkward about this scene. Those elongated noses, the gawky stance of the figure on the right... they just radiate a certain absurd vulnerability, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely! Daumier employs exaggeration beautifully to poke fun at the pretensions of the bourgeoisie. Note the way the three figures are rendered, each caricature emphasizing certain qualities--one all nose, another short, yet with a rifle like a badge. This piece comes from a series of "hunting sketches". It makes me wonder about Daumier's hunting habits; in other words, what exactly was he hunting? Editor: Not game, that's for sure. My gut tells me Daumier’s ‘hunt’ involved observing, critiquing. It feels deeply personal. I imagine him in a café, quickly sketching these characters on a napkin, muttering, "Voila, des gens…" almost to himself! I wonder, what did "fichue manière" even mean, exactly? I do love the economy of line, it has to be said. Every stroke serves the caricature's core idea, an elegant design in the most unassuming guise. Curator: A "hell of a way." I can imagine he might have gotten an awful lot of good from a bit of surreptitious observation. Semiotically speaking, the top hats and weaponry can signify elevated social status as much as any hunting prowess, a status undermined by their gangly frames and absurd postures, don’t you agree? Editor: Spot on. It's like a play, condensed into a single image. These figures aren't just people; they’re archetypes, representing a certain pompous class struggling—and comically failing—to uphold its self-image. It speaks volumes, doesn't it, even now? Curator: It truly does, it speaks of class and identity as constructed through image. To Daumier, these elements must've formed the foundation of hilarious human foibles! What a catch this work has made for our collection; wouldn't you agree? Editor: No arguing that! It makes one wonder about what sorts of "hunting" expeditions lie in store for us all, in all of our own ways. It is as hilarious as it is terrifying; I shall let it be a warning for how I present myself out to the world!