It is Inconvenient to Rent an Apartment Close to the River, plate 13 from Locataires et Propriétaires 1847

Curator: Daumier's lithograph, "It is Inconvenient to Rent an Apartment Close to the River" from 1847, part of his "Locataires et Propriétaires" series, captures a scene of… well, inconvenience. Editor: That's an understatement. He looks utterly miserable! Wading through what appears to be a flooded basement or sewer, holding a basket and a candle. The overwhelming darkness punctuated only by that tiny flame evokes a feeling of deep unease. Curator: Indeed. The print is more than just an observation; it's a scathing critique. Daumier frequently used his art to comment on the social inequalities and injustices of 19th-century Paris, especially the struggles of the working class. Editor: I see visual echoes of the river Styx here. That light barely illuminating the path... is he ferrying something important across? Or perhaps he's being ferried? I see those forms poking up out of the water and they look to me almost like the tops of hats, hinting at drowned figures beneath. Curator: It's an interesting interpretation. From a social perspective, it can also be a reference to the disastrous Paris floods during this era, a recurring theme in Daumier's satirical takes on property owners failing to provide their tenants with viable homes. Editor: Those dark forms certainly create a funereal feeling. His posture too: so hunched, weighed down both physically by his basket, and spiritually by his surroundings. He's a kind of tragic Charon, doomed to this task. It reads less as a simple depiction of urban misery and more like a descent into hell. Curator: Ultimately, Daumier sought to shine a light, pun intended, on the darker realities faced by ordinary Parisians. Whether symbolic or a commentary on socio-political issues of the time, I think, that this small lithograph has something for everyone. Editor: Absolutely, a bleak but potent exploration of the struggles of daily life in the underbelly of a major city. I wonder what price he had to pay?