Je vous assure que vous serez très bien assise 1871

Editor: Here we have Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1871, "Je vous assure que vous serez très bien assise"—"I assure you that you will be very well seated." It’s quite a striking image, the harsh lines adding to its satirical bite. What can you tell me about its context? Curator: Daumier’s work gains resonance when considering its production and the social environment in which it appeared. Lithography allowed for relatively inexpensive reproduction, and therefore wider dissemination to the French populace. How might the materiality of this work relate to its socio-political role in 1871? Editor: I guess it was more accessible. It makes you wonder how many people would have seen it back then! It’s clearly political, but who are these figures meant to represent? Curator: Notice how "France" is represented by this statuesque, almost classical figure while "the Right" drapes herself over a chair labeled "Monarchy." Daumier here uses printmaking, usually dismissed as craft, to comment on elite social and political structures. What does it tell us that "the Right" addresses "France"? And is the seated position really one of power, or of immobility and obsolescence? Editor: It seems like a commentary on who gets a seat at the table, both literally and figuratively. The figure representing "The Right" seems so much older and decaying, especially in comparison with France's idealized appearance. Curator: Exactly! And how the means of production--lithography for mass consumption--is itself implicated in this power play, versus traditional modes of artistic creation. Mass-produced art gives us the opportunity to bring awareness and maybe spark change by democratizing art, or at least mocking power through inexpensive means! Editor: So it's a fusion of the message and how the message itself was delivered... It definitely makes me think differently about the purpose behind prints of this kind.