“Come on in, Monsieur, don't be shy. It's a living picture.... just like (you'd see) at the Porte St. Martin,” plate 62 from Les Bons Bourgeois 1847

This lithograph was created by Honoré Daumier in the 19th century. It depicts a scene where a bourgeois man is invited into an artist's studio to witness a "living picture," a nude model posing for a painting. The motif of the artist and the model carries a complex history. We can trace it back to classical antiquity, where the artist was seen as a creator, almost a godlike figure, imbuing life into inert matter. The nude form, similarly, is not merely an object of study, but a vessel of ideals, recalling the classical nudes of goddesses and heroes. This scene also touches on the voyeuristic tendencies present in the act of viewing art. The man’s uneasy presence reflects a collective tension between desire and societal norms, mirroring how our subconscious desires can shape our interpretations of art, inviting us to confront the complex interplay between art, desire, and societal expectations. This symbol continues to resurface, evolving to reflect and challenge our ever-changing cultural landscapes.