The Professor's Lesson. Madame, always have dignity in the gesture... in pronouncing your sentence, be careful to imitate me... combine the gesture with contempt. 1858

Editor: So, this is Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "The Professor's Lesson." The expressions are wonderfully exaggerated! I'm curious about the narrative happening here. What's your take on this scene? Curator: Ah, Daumier! He captures the theatre of everyday life. I see social satire, a professor perhaps coaching an actress, or perhaps a man coaching a noble women. The title seems to imply a lesson, but is it one of genuine instruction, or a parody of societal affectation? Daumier excelled at exposing the absurdities of the bourgeoisie, don’t you think? Editor: That is interesting! The expressions, so pronounced, do invite a comedic reading of social posturing. Curator: Exactly! And Daumier's quick, gestural lines add to that sense of fleeting, almost farcical drama. It's a snapshot of a performance, isn’t it? Editor: I see it now! Thank you!