Invasion es wagons un jour ou l'on fait partir c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, "Invasion des wagons un jour où l'on fait partir," using a greasy crayon on a limestone slab. This was a fairly new technology at the time, but it lent itself well to mass production, which explains why Daumier’s work was so widely seen in newspapers and journals. Look closely, and you’ll see the dynamism of the medium in the swirling lines that create a sense of frenzied energy as people try to board a train. The very act of scrambling for a seat – a consequence of industrialization and mass transit – becomes the subject. The print makes no attempt to ennoble the figures; rather, they are shown in a moment of undignified struggle. Daumier wasn’t afraid to use his art as social commentary, reminding us that even the progress of technology can reveal unflattering truths about human behavior and the social order. This print challenges us to consider not just what we see, but how it was made, and what that making tells us about the world.