C'etais "pour se donner des forces" c. 1845

Curator: Paul Gavarni created this drawing around 1845, titled "C'etais 'pour se donner des forces'". He used pencil, and it strikes me as a fascinating snapshot of Parisian life. Editor: My initial impression is weariness, sheer physical exhaustion. The figure seems to be clinging to the embankment more out of desperation than resolve. Curator: Gavarni was a keen observer of social dynamics in 19th-century Paris. He really excelled at capturing these subtle nuances of everyday existence, and class struggle specifically. His works offered social commentary in popular publications, shaping public opinion at the time. Editor: The title, “It was ‘to give themselves strength',” takes on a particularly sardonic tone. The symbol of forced resilience, of maintaining a facade of strength while clearly depleted, it is such a raw reflection on power and privilege. Is he drinking to maintain? Or simply collapsing? Curator: The interesting thing about Gavarni's art is the way he walks the line between caricature and realism. It isn’t an over-the-top mockery, but it certainly doesn't idealize its subject, either. Editor: Absolutely. Look at the use of the averted gaze here; that refusal to meet the viewer's eye feels crucial. What societal forces pushed him to this edge? What sort of "strength" does society demand he conjure? Curator: We can see these kinds of romanticized, yet sobering scenes emerge during times of intense industrial change. Gavarni depicted everyday characters negotiating these transformations of Paris, and larger anxieties about progress, really well. The subject here certainly reflects these broader themes, making this pencil drawing such an incredible historical object. Editor: The drawing feels timeless because of that very universality of struggle. His exhausted slump carries so much history, both personal and social. It reminds us that even today, some bodies carry far heavier loads than others. Curator: Looking at this today helps us to consider our present, while reflecting on Gavarni's 1845 Paris, and all the change it brought to everyday society. Editor: Ultimately, art can become this unique type of witness, or even a mirror. This simple image shows it perfectly.