Mister . . . I come on behalf of a friend . . . c. 19th century

Editor: This is Paul Gavarni's "Mister...I come on behalf of a friend...", and I'm struck by the contrast in their clothing. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The lithograph suggests a commentary on the social stratification embedded within the very fabric of 19th-century Parisian life. Consider the labor involved in producing these garments, the materials sourced, and the implied economic disparity between the figures. Editor: So, the clothes themselves are indicators of their place in the world? Curator: Precisely. Gavarni uses materiality to expose the inherent inequalities and perhaps, the exploitative systems at play in their creation and consumption. What do you make of the setting?