Parisians Having Found a Means to Get About in Rainy Weather... 1850

Editor: So, this is Honoré Daumier’s "Parisians Having Found a Means to Get About in Rainy Weather…," and it's like... a bunch of people on stilts! It's so absurd, and yet, it makes me think about how we adapt to the little annoyances of life. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, Daumier! He always has a way of skewering society with such wit. I see more than just rainy weather solutions, though. Consider the context: Paris was rapidly modernizing, and Daumier uses these caricatures on stilts to poke fun at the pretensions of bourgeois society. It's a visual joke, but one with a bite. What do you think about the way he exaggerates the figures? Editor: I guess they do look a bit ridiculous. So, he's not just making fun of rainy days? Curator: Not at all! He's using the rain, and the stilts, as a metaphor. Think of it as a commentary on the ways people try to elevate themselves, sometimes in silly ways. Editor: That’s so interesting, I would have totally missed that! Curator: Art has a way of doing that, doesn’t it?