Mr. Prudhomme: “- Obnoxious waves.... don't you know whom you are carrying in this moment?... oh audacious... know I shall, like Xerxes, whip you terribly.” Mme Prudhomme: (shivering of fear) “- Pray, my dear friend, do not offend the sea any longer... you might wake its fury and it might devour us completely!,” plate 1 from Impressions nautiques 1859

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, plate 1 from "Impressions nautiques," sometime in the 19th century. The composition plunges us into a tumultuous sea, evoked by dense, swirling lines that dominate the scene. A small boat is tossed about, carrying the Prudhommes. The image is rendered almost entirely in monochrome, with stark contrasts accentuating the chaos of the waves. Daumier uses line and form to satirize the pomposity of Mr. Prudhomme, whose absurd declaration to the sea reveals a deep-seated bourgeois self-importance. The wild, expressive lines used to depict the ocean contrast with the more rigid depiction of the figures, underscoring the futility of human arrogance against nature's power. The structural tension between the chaotic sea and the rigidly posed figures is a key element. The composition uses the semiotic language of caricature to critique social values and power structures. Daumier leaves us to ponder the complex relationship between humanity and nature, played out through the ironic lens of social critique.