On the railroad, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, August 18, 1866
Original title: On the railroad, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, August 18, 1866
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1866 lithograph 'Auf der Eisenbahn' takes us into a train compartment where a woman grabs a man by the shoulder while another man sits sleeping beside him. The print was made for the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' and appeared in Le Charivari.
Description
Inside a railway carriage, a woman with curly hair and a long-sleeved dress stands and seizes by the shoulder a man seated at the window. His face registers surprise and a hint of alarm, while the man next to him sleeps or has lost consciousness. A black-and-white lithograph with graded greys that create depth and texture. The woman is placed in the foreground, the two men behind her, lending tension to the layout.
Context
On 18 August 1866 the lithograph appeared in the French satirical magazine Le Charivari. It belongs to Daumier's series 'Nachrichten des Tages', which took up current social topics. The accompanying text reveals: the woman pulls the emergency brake because her sleeping husband has called out the name 'Eugénie' — her own name is 'Clara'. Thus a comic jealousy story unfolds in the railway milieu of the time.
Impact
The woman's exaggerated gestures and the man's startled look immediately create a humorous, dramatic mood. The sleeping man forms a calm counterpoint to the woman's agitation and heightens the comic effect. The print captures an everyday but absurd situation that prompts a smile.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint, second state of two (Delteil). Lithography allowed fine greys and details, used here for facial expressions and clothing textures. The use of newsprint attests to its function as a mass medium for the satirical press.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)