Having had the unfortunate idea to go take a nap at the water's edge, plate 9 from Croquis D'été 1856

Curator: Here we have Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "Having had the unfortunate idea to go take a nap at the water's edge," plate 9 from his series "Croquis D'été", created in 1856. It's a print on paper, currently residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: My initial reaction is one of exhausted amusement. There’s a dark, almost scratchy feel to the lithography, yet the scene itself is so relatable: that yearning for a peaceful nap outdoors gone completely wrong. Curator: Absolutely. And in considering the piece's historical context, we can note that Daumier often used his art to satirize bourgeois life in 19th-century France. Here, the title itself, "Having had the unfortunate idea...", drips with a relatable irony. I'm wondering, what is the dynamic between the figures portrayed? Editor: It is about gender roles. We see a man reclining, apparently trying to sleep, while the woman beside him is attending to him and maybe warding off insects, but not napping herself. Even in "leisure", women's labor is highlighted. It speaks volumes about the expectations placed on women. The darkness around the periphery creates an ambience of anxiety, reflecting not carefree bliss. Curator: It is interesting how he highlights the uneven distribution of relaxation! And thinking of Daumier’s other work for magazines such as *Le Charivari*, the political context is really key. In that respect it can be read as a depiction of broader anxieties around industrialization and urbanization impacting personal lives at the time. Even moments of leisure become fraught with a kind of performance for an implicit bourgeois gaze. Editor: And from an activist perspective, such representation reinforces existing inequalities in access to rest and relaxation, reflecting that even so called 'private moments' reinforce social inequalities and cultural expectation, thereby having further political and social repercussions. Curator: Well, I must admit I hadn't considered all of those gendered political issues surrounding relaxation! This lithograph certainly gives one much to contemplate about leisure. Editor: Indeed. It is about critically engaging with the artwork in relation to a world where such leisure may reinforce uneven gender relations.