Who painted Man Overboard?

Man Overboard was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1843.

Where can I see Man Overboard?

Man Overboard is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Man Overboard?

Man Overboard is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Man Overboard

Honoré Daumier , 1843

Man Overboard is a print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1942.1019
Credit line: Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection

About this work

This print shows a man in a top hat flailing in dark water. A rescue boat speeds toward him, but the waves look ready to swallow him whole.

Daumier made this for a daily paper. It mocked Parisian boatmen, even their rescues were slow and clumsy. The contrast between the man’s panic and the boat’s laziness makes it darkly funny.

Look up Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879) next.

Overview

Man Overboard is a lithographic print from the series Parisian Boatmen, published in Le Charivari on June 11, 1843. The work depicts a dramatic, yet satirical, maritime scene.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows a top-hatted man struggling in turbulent water as a rescue boat approaches with apparent lethargy. The contrast between the man's desperation and the boat's slow response conveys a darkly humorous critique of Parisian boatmen's ineptitude.

Technique & Style

Created for a daily newspaper, the print exemplifies Daumier's characteristic lithographic technique, using bold lines and expressive contrasts of light and dark to convey dynamic movement and emotional tension.

History & Provenance

Originally published as plate 14 in Parisian Boatmen, this work was part of Daumier's contributions to Le Charivari, a platform for his social commentary. Specific provenance details are not provided.

Context

Part of a broader series satirizing Parisian boatmen, Man Overboard reflects Daumier's engagement with social critique through art, common in 19th-century French caricature.

The Boat Trip: Cabin Boy Hauling the Tow-Rope or Hauling by Rope, Charles François Daubigny

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…