Man Overboard! “- Harpoon him more firmly!.... we can't get him otherwise! And you, hold his legs up in the air, that's very important.... There is nothing in the world that makes you catch a cold faster than by getting your feet wet,” plate 14 from Les Canotiers Parisiens 1843

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, “Man Overboard!” in the mid-19th century, a period of great expansion in print media. The lithographic process involves drawing on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then treating the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. The result, as you can see, is a very direct and expressive line, almost like a drawing. Here, Daumier used this technique to create a scene of supposed leisure on the water. But observe the crude, almost violent, action of “harpooning” the man overboard. It’s a scene imbued with social commentary. Daumier masterfully utilizes the lithographic process to highlight the stark contrast between the supposed idyll of Parisian boaters and the rather unpleasant realities of labor and class. The immediacy of the drawn line lends urgency to the scene, underscoring the social critique inherent in the image. By focusing on the material process and its capacity for social commentary, we gain a deeper appreciation of Daumier’s intention, moving beyond simple appreciation to critical understanding.