"You see here the great celebrities." 1839

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier’s "You see here the great celebrities," an undated lithograph from Harvard Art Museums. It's a bustling scene, seemingly satirical. What can you tell me about Daumier’s process and the materials he employed here? Curator: Daumier's lithographs gained popularity due to the accessibility and reproducibility of the medium, allowing mass consumption of his social critiques. How do you think this ease of production influenced his commentary on French society? Editor: I suppose it allowed his critical views to spread rapidly. Curator: Precisely. Lithography enabled Daumier to engage with a wider audience, blurring the lines between fine art and popular media. It also let him challenge power structures more directly, by critiquing the elites. How does that impact our perception of the work today? Editor: It highlights the relationship between art, labor, and social change. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. It shows how material conditions shape artistic expression and meaning.