Touch 1843

Curator: This is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled "Touch," currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts a rather severe scene, wouldn't you say? Editor: Indeed! The composition is stark; the figure with the stick dominates the frame. You can almost feel the sting, given the very detailed rendering of that moment. Curator: Daumier, known for his social commentary, employed lithography widely. The materiality of the print allowed his works to reach a wider audience. His use of line here underscores the power dynamics at play. The image circulates within a culture of print and reproduction, shaping public opinion. Editor: How fascinating that Daumier captures such domestic scenes! I wonder about the social norms of discipline during this era. The work definitely invites questions about power, family, and the institutionalization of certain behaviors. Curator: Right, and the production of images like this, meant for mass consumption, can be interpreted as a means of either reinforcing or critiquing those social norms. Editor: It certainly makes you ponder the role of art as a reflection of its time. Curator: Precisely. And the means by which art is produced contributes to the story being told.