"Wandering sheep return to the fold!" c. 19th century

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "Wandering sheep return to the fold!". Editor: It’s immediately striking; the composition feels unbalanced, and the stark contrasts amplify a sense of unease. Curator: Indeed. Note Daumier's masterful use of line—the way he renders the cleric's garments, creating volume and texture. The etching serves as a biting political commentary. Editor: I'm drawn to the materiality. The lithographic process itself allows for such expressive linework, mirroring the immediacy of Daumier’s social critique. The cheapness of printmaking made his social critique widely available. Curator: Precisely, the formal elements reinforce the satirical intent. The bowed heads and hunched postures signify submission, while the cleric's towering figure suggests dominance. Editor: I see the critique of power, but also the exploitation inherent in the labor of mass reproduction. Each print disseminated is both a blow to authority and a product of it. Curator: The stark black and white underscores the moral clarity Daumier seeks. Editor: Ultimately, its success lies in exposing the structures that enable such manipulation. The method and the message are inseparable.