L'ingénieur du Leviathan trouvant, en rève ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, titled "L'ingénieur du Leviathan," using a greasy crayon on a limestone slab. This method, common for mass-produced imagery, allowed for detailed reproduction in newspapers and magazines, reflecting the rise of print culture during the 19th century. The lithograph shows an engineer asleep, dreaming up ways to advance his ship. The material quality of the lithograph—the grainy texture and subtle tonal variations—lends a dreamlike quality, heightening the sense of fantasy. Daumier's skilled hand, evident in the shading and contouring, transforms a simple drawing into a commentary on industrial innovation. The use of a relatively inexpensive material like limestone made it possible for this image to be widely accessible, thus engaging a broad audience in reflections on labor, technology and progress. The very process of lithography, with its reliance on industrial production, mirrors the themes explored in the artwork, highlighting how materials, making, and context intertwine to shape meaning and challenge traditional art boundaries.