The walking stick that papa found in Mama's closet that day he was so mad c. 19th century

Curator: Let's discuss Paul Gavarni’s lithograph, "The walking stick that papa found in Mama's closet that day he was so mad", which depicts a seated man with a child. Editor: Right away, there's a melancholic air to it, don't you think? The man seems distant, burdened. Curator: The lithographic process itself is key here. Gavarni's choice allowed for mass production and wider consumption by the middle classes. The narrative title suggests a complicated domestic scene. Editor: Exactly! It feels so intimate, almost voyeuristic. I wonder about the story behind that walking stick and the "mad" papa. Curator: Considering Gavarni's focus on social commentary, the print likely critiques bourgeois family dynamics and perhaps hints at infidelity or secrets. Editor: Well, it certainly sparks the imagination, doesn't it? A tangible slice of Victorian drama, right here. Curator: Indeed. It’s fascinating how the material—the lithograph itself—enabled Gavarni to share such intimate and potentially scandalous narratives with a broad audience.