The Bathing-Cars 1843

Curator: The Bathing-Cars by Honoré Daumier presents a rather stark scene. What strikes you about this print? Editor: Well, it appears to depict workers cleaning what looks like train compartments. The raw quality of the lithograph and the presence of laborers give it a documentary feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The piece highlights the materiality of travel and labor. Daumier uses the print to expose the often-uncomfortable conditions of mass transportation in 19th-century France, the labor behind maintaining even basic hygiene. It prompts us to consider who bears the brunt of progress. Editor: So, it's less about the romance of travel and more about the realities of the working class supporting it? Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to consider the socio-economic context of the burgeoning railway system and its effect on labor. Editor: I hadn't considered the labor aspect so directly before. Curator: Seeing art through the lens of production and the human cost, brings hidden narratives to light.