Robert Macaire, Professor of Industry c. 19th century

Curator: Look at this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, "Robert Macaire, Professor of Industry." The man at the podium seems to be addressing a group with great passion. Editor: My first impression is one of critique and cynicism. The figures are caricatures, and their expressions feel exaggerated, almost mocking. Curator: Daumier, through Robert Macaire, is satirizing the burgeoning world of finance and industry. Macaire, a con man, is seen here as a professor, lecturing on how to swindle. Editor: It speaks to the timelessness of questioning authority. Who benefits from economic systems, and who is exploited in the process? Curator: Exactly. And Daumier captures that perfectly. He uses humor to make us question the ethics of this "Professor of Industry." Editor: It's a stark reminder that these power dynamics haven't really changed all that much.