Kruidenier Robert Macaire toont Bertrand de inhoud van een zak 1837

Curator: Welcome to the Rijksmuseum. Here we have "Kruidenier Robert Macaire toont Bertrand de inhoud van een zak," or "Grocer Robert Macaire shows Bertrand the contents of a bag," created around 1837 by Honoré Daumier. It's a lithograph print. The caricature is beautifully rendered, what strikes you first about it? Editor: It’s the sheer scale of the bag, dwarfing the grocer! And the almost palpable sketchiness of the lithographic lines – they convey such immediacy. Curator: Daumier was a master of social commentary. This print is one in a series of lithographs featuring Robert Macaire, a fictional con man, meant to satirize the greed and corruption of the bourgeoisie during the July Monarchy in France. Daumier utilized lithography as the media for his works because of the process allowed him to be a commercial success. The printing of lithographs also opened conversations on previously untouchable social topics, and in turn radicalized the field. Editor: Absolutely. Look at how Daumier renders the textures - the rough sack against Macaire’s relatively finer coat, even if his pose appears intentionally sloppy to feign wealth. This print speaks volumes about social and economic disparities and to an era in which commercial materials are at the root of those distinctions. And to the exploitative side of capitalism itself. Curator: Consider Bertrand, the grocer, and his almost pathetic demeanor. Macaire, the swindler, displays a confidence borne of privilege while exploiting a labourer to achieve an easy profit. We have a power dynamic laid bare, playing out through consumer goods and commerce. Editor: I hadn’t considered that Bertrand's position in the economic structure allows for his exploitation to be rendered and displayed to the upper classes as a joke to ignore and further reinforce the structures which are impacting them. It is a caricature of corruption and capital accumulation. Curator: Daumier's lithographs like this serve as both historical records and poignant reminders of how class struggles perpetuate within societies. These images still encourage necessary discussions today. Editor: This work provides some great insight to the distribution and production means within society at the time, which still affect social, economic, and class statuses in our current era. Thank you for illuminating that history for us.