“- Mr.Lifeguard.... is it true there are sharks at Dieppe? - Of course... but it is pretty simple... as soon as you see one coming to eat you, all you have to do is lay down sideways. He won't eat you for fear of choking to death,” plate 1 from Aus Bains De Mer c. 1858

This lithograph, “- Mr.Lifeguard.... is it true there are sharks at Dieppe? - Of course... but it is pretty simple... as soon as you see one coming to eat you, all you have to do is lay down sideways. He won't eat you for fear of choking to death,” is from Honoré Daumier’s satirical series Aus Bains De Mer, created circa 1858. The print humorously depicts a lifeguard reassuring a worried bather about the presence of sharks at the seaside resort of Dieppe, France. This work exemplifies Daumier’s keen social commentary and his mastery of lithographic techniques, using exaggerated figures and simple lines to deliver a biting critique of human folly and the absurdity of societal anxieties.