Arrivée dans une ville trop hospitalière... 1852

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, titled "Arrivée dans une ville trop hospitalière...", a commentary on the burgeoning tourism industry. Lithography is a printmaking process that relies on the contrast between greasy and non-greasy areas on a stone or metal plate. The artist draws on the surface with a greasy crayon, then applies ink which adheres only to the drawn areas. Here, Daumier uses the technique to great effect, capturing the chaotic atmosphere as tourists disembark from the “trains de plaisir”. Look at the swirling lines, capturing the sense of overwhelm, and the sharp, biting details used to depict the grasping figures. The littered advertisements for "Hotel" and "Restaurant" underscore the aggressive commercialism taking place. Daumier critiques the exploitative side of this new form of leisure, enabled by industrialization. The print implicates the viewer, inviting us to consider our role in this social theater. In doing so, Daumier elevates the status of the print from a mere reproduction to a powerful form of social commentary.