The Death of the Poodle 1840

Editor: Here we have "The Death of the Poodle" by Honoré Daumier. It looks like a lithograph. The composition and subject matter both seem quite sad. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I notice the stark lines and the visible labor in the printmaking process. Consider the social context: Daumier critiqued bourgeois society. The apparent grief over a poodle might be a comment on misplaced values, consuming sentimental objects while ignoring human suffering. What do you think? Editor: That's a really interesting point! It makes me think about how we assign value to different types of beings and possessions. Curator: Exactly. And the mass-produced nature of lithography allows Daumier to disseminate this critique widely, implicating a broad audience in his social commentary.