Embarcation of a Lady. “Get in without fear Miss Josephine....You don't have to be afraid from neither the current nor the boatmen... they are all Frrrrrench.... we actually wanted to salute you with 101 canon shots, but we didn't get the authorization from the Government!...,” plate 15 from Les Canotiers Parisiens 1843

This lithograph was made by Honoré Daumier as part of his series *Les Canotiers Parisiens*. Here, we see a woman being helped onto a boat by a man, while others wait inside. Daumier was a master of social satire in 19th century France, and this image provides commentary on the social norms of his time. The humor stems from the boatmen's exaggerated assurances of safety and their failed attempt to get authorization for a 101-gun salute. This pokes fun at both the bureaucracy of the French government and the sometimes absurd rituals of social class. Consider how the woman's cautious posture contrasts with the boatmen's over-the-top display, highlighting the artificiality of social performances. To truly understand Daumier's work, one could delve into publications like *Le Charivari*, where his lithographs were originally published, as well as government records of the time, to uncover the realities of French society during the July Monarchy. This reveals how art serves as a mirror reflecting the ever-changing landscape of social and institutional life.