And so, my uncle, tell me ... these lovely little flowers, where do they come from and what do they become? -Manure, p. 14 1853

Curator: Gavarni's drawing, "And so, my uncle, tell me ... these lovely little flowers, where do they come from and what do they become? -Manure, p. 14," presents us with a curious pair in an almost theatrical setting. Editor: There's a wonderful languor about it, isn't there? A blithe uncle lounging, while the little girl seems engrossed in some delicate craft with the flowers. But manure? Curator: Gavarni, a keen observer of Parisian life, often used his art to critique social norms. It seems he suggests something of beauty's fleeting nature. The flowers, so lovely now, destined to become something far less appealing. Editor: It's funny how the starkness of the ink lends a certain grittiness. What starts as idyllic quickly morphs into something a little unsettling. Curator: Absolutely. It's a reminder that beauty and decay are intertwined, not so different as we might like to think. A clever jab at sentimentality, perhaps? Editor: I'm leaving with a sense of amused melancholy. Like a little flower pressed between the pages of a very philosophical book.