Robert Macaire, Lawyer c. 19th century

Curator: Aha, Daumier's "Robert Macaire, Lawyer"! What a deliciously cynical jab at the legal profession. Editor: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier features two figures, a lawyer and a seated man, rendered in stark monochrome. There's a satirical quality, almost theatrical. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It's the embodiment of societal critique, don't you think? Daumier masterfully uses caricature to expose the moral bankruptcy lurking beneath the surface of 19th-century France. That lawyer, all puffed up with self-importance… he’s a wolf in sheep's clothing! Do you see the frame? Editor: Yes, it seems to act as a stage for the scene. Curator: Exactly! This stage becomes a mirror, reflecting uncomfortable truths about power and exploitation. It makes you wonder who is really on trial here. Editor: So, the viewer becomes implicated. That’s quite powerful, I hadn't considered that. Curator: Art's greatest trick, isn't it? Leaving us not just seeing, but feeling.