A Difficult Art Lover 1864

Curator: This lithograph, "A Difficult Art Lover," comes to us from Honoré Daumier; though undated, it likely stems from his prolific mid-19th century output. The work resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: I'm immediately struck by the stark contrast. A wealthy man, surrounded by art, seems utterly preoccupied with critiquing his meal rather than engaging with the cultural event surrounding him. Curator: Indeed. Daumier often used food as a symbol of bourgeois excess and critique of class structures. The labor involved in producing both the art and the meal is completely divorced from the man's experience. Editor: Note too the dark lines and the almost caricatured faces of the figures. There's a deliberate ugliness here that serves to highlight the spiritual emptiness of the man. The title itself, of course, is ironic. Curator: Considering Daumier’s history of lampooning the bourgeoisie, this piece becomes a commentary on the commodification of art and the shallow consumption habits of the wealthy. Editor: It leaves me pondering what truly feeds the soul and who has access to that nourishment.