“That will do the job!,” plate 91 from Actualités 1870

Editor: Today, we're looking at Honoré Daumier’s 1870 lithograph, “That will do the job!,” from the series *Actualités*. I find it quite…stark. The figures seem trapped. What do you make of it? Curator: Trapped is a potent word, and, like many of Daumier’s lithographs, there's a biting commentary nestled within. Two allegorical figures representing France in 1852 and 1870 are presented. Notice how one looks decidedly less…robust, shall we say? An eager tailor, symbolic of the new regime perhaps, measures the 'new' France. The title *Ca prendra t-il!*, which roughly translates to "Will that do it?", is key. Does this forced tailoring really fit the nation's spirit? Editor: So, the tailor isn’t actually helping. He's…constricting? Curator: Precisely. Daumier uses caricature—exaggerated features—to hint at deeper societal ills. He questions the authenticity of this supposed progress under the new leadership, almost suggesting that France is being squeezed into something it’s not. You almost wonder if he isn't asking us, "Can we even *stitch* a nation back together after so much turmoil?" Editor: I see it now. The first figure seems so much stronger than the second, hunched over as she is! The 'tailoring' implies a forced conformity. I hadn't picked up on all of that! Curator: It’s fascinating how Daumier packed so much meaning into seemingly simple lines, isn’t it? He doesn’t spoon-feed us the message; instead, he invites us to unravel the narrative thread. Editor: Definitely makes you think twice about taking things at face value. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. There's a timelessness in his observations. Keeps you wondering, what kind of "tailoring" is happening today?