"What do you think of this?..." 1847

Curator: This lithograph, by Honoré Daumier, is titled "What do you think of this?...". It’s a simple composition, yet something about its starkness feels unsettling. Editor: There is a clear hierarchy, the subjects appear trapped in a bourgeois setting. They seem to represent a collective of cultural figures, and a sense of entrapment looms. Curator: The etching style, its lines and contrasts, contribute to that feeling. The stark white space of the canvas in front of them creates an interesting push and pull. Editor: The canvas as a symbol of the new, perhaps an icon of the cultural moment being scrutinized. The men's expressions suggest skepticism, even critique. The artist, however, remains out of view, maybe suggesting the elusiveness of beauty. Curator: It's the balance Daumier strikes between light and shadow that I find especially compelling. It’s not just representational, it’s… almost emotional. Editor: Precisely. It's a moment captured, laden with judgment and the weight of tradition questioning the new. It makes one wonder, what *are* they looking at? Curator: Indeed. A fascinating piece. Editor: It certainly is.