Monsieur Le Frizeur 1771

Editor: Here we have Henry William Bunbury’s “Monsieur Le Frizeur,” a print from 1771, currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The subject’s striking, almost cartoonish features, are really what draw me in. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a biting commentary on the societal obsession with appearance and status in the late 18th century. Consider the figure's exaggeratedly tall hair and ornate clothing, contrasting with the simplicity of the print medium. Bunbury is critiquing the excesses of the aristocracy, highlighting the performative nature of identity and how it intersects with class. How might the artist's decision to use printmaking—a medium more accessible to the masses—influence your reading of the work? Editor: That's a great point. The availability of prints might have made the satire more widely accessible, driving home a message to a broad audience, maybe beyond just the elites being satirized. Curator: Precisely! This also forces us to consider the artist's own positionality within these social structures. Was Bunbury an outsider looking in, or a participant in the very culture he was critiquing? We must think about who is speaking and to what end. Also note that men were doing other men's hair and shaping ideals of masculinity! Editor: It's fascinating how a seemingly simple image can open up so many layers of interpretation when you start thinking about the social and historical context. Curator: Indeed! By engaging with the art's context, we can unearth its commentary on gender, class, and power dynamics, issues that remain relevant today. Understanding this helps us grapple with our own perceptions of beauty, status, and identity.