A New Way to Float Down the River of Life. - Radiguet you rascal, to hell with you, your boat and your new invention.... it is your fault that the entire outing went down the drain. - Come, come now.... no reason to scream hell. I am just angry about my boot-maker... since my shoes are being filled with water coming from the holes in the pockets of my pants., plate 3 from Les Canotiers Parisiens 1843

This lithograph, made by Honoré Daumier, captures a chaotic scene on the river, rife with comedic despair. The dominant symbol is the river itself, laden with a sense of life's unpredictable currents. Note the capsized boat, a motif echoing shipwrecks in classical art, where the sea embodies fate’s cruel hand. Observe how this symbol has transformed: from ancient allegories of human hubris facing divine wrath to a modern jest about a failed leisurely outing. Here, Daumier invokes the shared, perhaps subconscious, fear of being overwhelmed, turning it into satire. The figures' expressive gestures—the raised arms and contorted faces—amplify this emotional state. These gestures, reminiscent of theatrical poses, connect to a broader artistic tradition of conveying intense feelings. Thus, Daumier, whether consciously or not, links the everyday mishaps of Parisian boaters to timeless themes of struggle and survival, subtly reminding us of the ever-churning river of human existence.