L'Anniversaire du Mariage (Wedding Anniversary) 1845

Editor: Here we have Honoré Daumier's "L'Anniversaire du Mariage." It's a lithograph, so a print. I am struck by how the lines create texture. What do you see in this piece, especially considering his techniques? Curator: Daumier's lithographs were produced for mass consumption, printed in newspapers. We should consider how the means of production—the printing press— allowed his social critiques to reach a wide audience. His focus was on the everyday lives of the bourgeois, and the materials used highlight the shift towards industrial reproduction. Editor: So the medium itself becomes part of the message about consumption and class? Curator: Exactly. Daumier democratized art by making it accessible and affordable. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, it showcases art's role in reflecting societal shifts.