2 heures - Le gouter d'Azor 1839

Curator: "2 Heures - Le gouter d'Azor," or "2 Hours - Azor's Snack." This lithograph was created in 1839 by Honoré Daumier. There's a wonderful candidness to it, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. My first thought: pathos! Look at that downcast gaze and the droop in his shoulders. There is an obvious sadness hanging about the guy with the top hat. And the title… “Azor’s Snack”? He's offering an egg, maybe? Is he lonely and desperate for some simple canine affection? Curator: That sadness is certainly part of it. Daumier often explored the everyday lives of Parisians, and this drawing is from a series called "La Journée du Célibataire" or "The Day of the Bachelor." Think of the imagery here: the hanging fowl at the food stall represent that which the bachelor does not have, which could be related to his solitary status in life and the food to come for his meal as well. The two figures create a visual paradox. Editor: Yes! I can see how being a bachelor could be read as solitude or independence depending on one's interpretation. It does seem like a critique though, or a compassionate view on the struggles of bachelordom. What are your thoughts on the smaller figure with a cane in the frame? Is he a possible love interest, turned down? Is he some form of judgement or guide? Curator: Well, it seems open to interpretation, doesn't it? The figure offers perhaps a visual contrast between the two archetypes or possibly even time, like it might depict a change within a life over a period of years? As we delve deeper into the work, it echoes that the pursuit of social bonds can be both comedic and tinged with melancholy. Editor: Exactly, it is that tightrope walk between light and shadow, hope and resignation, that makes the drawing so compelling! Thank you for helping me find the depth here! Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Until next time.