Peachy the Magazine August September 2014 | Page 100

Caricature and Social Activism
classes. The title itself emphasizes the
stratification of society, and we see how
cramped, crowded and uncomfortable
it is to be in third class.
Although the Sugar Baby is no longer
on view, there is a particularly wonderful show on Daumier at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. “Daumier’s Salon:
A Human Comedy” explores Daumier’s work through the lens of the Parisian art scene, of which Daumier was
both a critic and a participant. Through
the recent gift of benefactor Robert
M. Light of more than 1,500 Daumier

lithographs, the SBMA now boasts a
stellar collection of this celebrated master. The works of both Daumier and
Walker reveal the power of art as a tool
of social activism. Their art begs us to
reject our role as benign observer and
instead actively examine our own perspectives and prejudices as we consider
the plight of “the other.” n
Daumier’s Salon: A Human Comedy
can be viewed at the Santa Barbara
Museum of Art now through
October 5, 2014.

H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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