Comment on donne... le goût de la navigation 1846

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled 'Comment on donne... le goût de la navigation'. The central image is a man, on his hands and knees, blowing at a tiny paper boat in a bowl of water, while a young boy looks on. The father’s posture, mimicking the wind itself, evokes images of mythical gods controlling the elements. We are reminded of Neptune, god of the sea, or even Aeolus, keeper of the winds, often depicted commanding the tempests. Yet, here, these grand, elemental forces are scaled down to the domestic sphere, to childish play. This juxtaposition of the grand and the mundane elicits a powerful psychological response. It speaks to the inherent human desire to control and nurture, to shape the world around us, no matter how small. The image resonates with the collective memory of play, of make-believe, reminding us that even in adulthood, the impulse to create and manipulate our environment persists. The act of blowing, a symbol of life and breath, underscores the deep, primal connection between parent and child, a bond that transcends time. This symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.