The dinner in boat 

This drawing, "The Dinner in Boat", was created by Charles François Daubigny using pen and ink. The composition shows a scene on a river, dominated by horizontal lines suggesting water, contrasted by the vertical lines of the boat's cabin. This opposition of lines creates a structured yet fluid dynamic. Daubigny uses a semiotic system of marks, where swirling lines signify smoke and simple dashes denote birds. The figures, rendered with quick, gestural strokes, are less about individual portraiture and more about their function within the scene. The composition challenges traditional landscape art by focusing on everyday life. Notice how the drawing is not just a visual record but an exploration of form and line. The sketch destabilizes established meanings through its informal, immediate approach, prefiguring later modernist explorations of form over strict representation. "The Dinner in Boat" thus functions as a cultural sign, questioning traditional artistic values.