Ces artistes sont presque tous fous . . . Ma parole d'honneur! . . . En voilà un qui a l'idée de faire le portrait d'un vieil arbre! 27 - 1847

Curator: Right now, we're looking at "Ces artistes sont presque tous fous . . . Ma parole d'honneur! . . . En voilà un qui a l'idée de faire le portrait d'un vieil arbre!" It's a lithograph print created with pencil by Honoré Daumier around 1847. What catches your eye first about this piece? Editor: Well, it’s immediately comical! The juxtaposition of the bewildered bourgeois and the lone artist under the umbrella, studiously sketching a scraggly tree – it's inherently funny. Curator: Daumier was known for his social and political satire. The title, which translates to "These artists are almost all crazy... My word of honor!... Here's one who has the idea to do a portrait of an old tree!", speaks volumes about the societal view of artists in mid-19th century France. The "bons bourgeois," the good middle class, couldn't understand why anyone would waste their time painting a simple tree. Editor: There’s almost a theatre to it, right? That central figure is giving us this incredibly dramatic, over-the-top reaction, almost as if he's playing to the audience. His gesture seems to say, "Can you believe this nonsense?" But the artist in the background, in his little world, painting, is the real focal point, isn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Daumier consistently challenged the status quo, using his art to critique the values and priorities of the bourgeoisie. In this particular artwork, it highlights the clash between artistic vision and conventional, practical concerns. The artist’s romanticism clashes directly with the values of the bourgeois, doesn’t it? Editor: Exactly! He transforms the everyday scene into a poignant observation on societal values. You have to wonder about that artist though... maybe he's onto something the bourgeois simply cannot see? Perhaps the gnarled old tree contains stories only paint can capture. Curator: Ultimately, Daumier invites us to question our own perceptions of value and the role of art in society. The themes he explores about what matters—what constitutes art, what makes one mad or not—still resonate profoundly. Editor: Agreed. This print, even with its dated context, hits a universal nerve about perspectives, values, and even, just maybe, embracing a little "madness." It's that lingering sense of possibilities, isn’t it? That quiet beauty just off-center to social norm.