Seven O'Clock 1839

Editor: This is Honoré Daumier's "Seven O'Clock". The figures seem caught between aspiration and weary resignation. What do you read into their expressions? Curator: Ah, Daumier! He saw the world with such wry humor. These men, so elegantly dressed, yet somehow… deflated. They’re caricatures, yes, but also mirrors, reflecting the absurdity of societal expectations. What do you suppose they dream of? Editor: Perhaps, freedom from those very expectations. Thanks, that’s a perspective I hadn't considered! Curator: Anytime! Daumier always seems to have a story to tell.