"There's no use in my showing you my apartment... We don't rent to mothers of families with children!" 1856

Editor: This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, "There's no use in my showing you my apartment... We don't rent to mothers of families with children!", really strikes a chord with me. What can you tell me about the social commentary at play here? Curator: Daumier, a master of social critique, used lithography to reach a wide audience. Consider the institutional power dynamics: landlords and societal biases against single mothers. How does the image itself, the composition, contribute to this message? Editor: It’s stark, the concierge is looking down on them, the words make it explicit. It feels pointed. Curator: Exactly. Daumier isn't just showing us a scene; he's exposing a societal injustice. His work highlights how art can be a powerful tool for social change. Editor: That makes so much sense in the context of 19th-century Paris. Thanks for illuminating that! Curator: My pleasure. It is important to consider these things.