1852
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
L'Inconvénient d'être dans un wagon... is a 1852 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a crowded train car packed with grumpy-looking passengers. Some are slumped, others glare, and one man leans out the window. The train’s wheels and tracks are drawn in the foreground, making the scene feel cramped and chaotic. A small dog sits on the lower step, adding to the mess. The title at the bottom jokes about how annoying it is to share a train with fussy travelers. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show the hurry and frustration of public transport. Next, check out lithography to see how artists like Daumier made prints like this.
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.
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