Artwork
Et ils veulent rattraper le train!!!
Et ils veulent rattraper le train!!! is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled “Et ils veulent rattraper le train!!!” presents a bustling chase scene in which a horse‑drawn carriage, marked “COMMISSION EXTRA PARLEMENTAIRE,” hurries after a steam locomotive emblazoned with the word “PROGRÈS.” The composition captures a moment of frantic pursuit, juxtaposing antiquated transport with the symbol of modern advancement.
Subject & Meaning
The work satirically comments on the 19th‑century rush toward modernization. The officials cramped within the carriage clutch documents, suggesting bureaucratic inertia attempting to keep pace with the unstoppable force of progress represented by the smoking train. Daumier’s humor lies in the visual irony of outdated authority lagging behind technological change.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold, crisp lines and stark contrasts that were characteristic of Daumier’s printmaking. The medium allowed for rapid, inexpensive reproduction, making the piece suitable for wide circulation in periodicals where his political caricatures frequently appeared.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social commentary, the print was likely distributed through newspapers or pamphlets that circulated among the literate public. Its survival in museum collections reflects the enduring interest in his visual critiques of contemporary French politics.
Context
In the mid‑1800s France, railways symbolized industrial growth and national ambition, while parliamentary commissions often struggled to adapt. Daumier’s depiction captures this tension, illustrating how the speed of technological innovation outstripped the slower mechanisms of governmental response.
Legacy
The lithograph remains a concise visual essay on the challenges of modernization, exemplifying Daumier’s skill in merging humor with acute social observation. It continues to be referenced in studies of 19th‑century political art for its clear illustration of the period’s cultural anxieties.
Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
