Leung Ka Sin talks on Honoré Daumier: Third-Class Carriage (circa 1862)

Artist: Honore Daumier

Title: The Third-Class Carriage

Year: 1862

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 65.4 x 90.2 cm

How does the work fit into the movement, Realism, and the specific historical context? (eg the mid 19^th century in France)

This painting is finished in mid 19th century. This was the age of revolution especially the industrial revolution. Because there appeared factory owners and workers, class divisions were highlighted. The more property one owns, the more power one has. It raised people's awareness on workers' rights. In order to fight against totalitarianism and bourgeois, Realism was regarded as a movement for poor and lower class people. Therefore, Realism artworks depict more often the subject matter outside the high art tradition. They were interested in urban working class life, genre scenes of peasants or of lower class people but not the noble life or noble self-portrait. That was indeed what they regarded as reality. In this case, Realism is not to mirror the world in detail.

Owing to reflecting the reality, the characteristics of Realism tended to be natural and ordinary. Realism did not suggest exaggeration. The subject matters were usually assigned naturally so that nobody stood out. Besides, artists used ordinary people as the subject matter. Last but not least, people and scenarios were not idealized. Artists tried to reveal the real people, e.g. the wrinkles, dirt, and the real moment.

We can fit this painting into the movement from three aspects. Firstly, the depiction on the subject matter was nearly natural. Their facial expression and their dressing were not idealized. The elder woman in the front was one of the example. We can definitely see her wrinkles. Her sight was absorbed in thought. Also, her hands and her clothes were colored as if they were full of dirt. And hence, we can see weariness of her. This kind of depiction is very ordinary and close to reality.

Secondly, the color used showed Daumier's sympathy for the poor. The whole painting tended to be brown in color. We could say this was evening. After a whole day work and a whole day journey, passengers were tired. Besides, the
colors mostly used were green, black and brown. It gave a sense that their clothes and the environment in the third class carriage were dirty and coarse. People can easily recognise that they were poor people. This fitted the characteristics of Realism.

Thirdly, the subject matters were allocated messily and almost on the same level. No one was particularly stood out. Daumier successfully depicted the real situation in the third class carriage on the painting.

Everything in this painting was not idealized and closely related to the lower class. Therefore, this work absolutely fitted the style of Realism.

A description of the work

This painting is entitled with 'The Third Class Carriage'. Daumier wants to depict the real situation for the poor in the third class railway carriage. There is dim in the carriage with crowded people at the back. From their dressing, the color used and the depiction on their face, we can say that they are lower class people. The artist depicts the wrinkles on their faces. Their clothing and the environment of the carriage are dirty.

In the front, there is an elder lady, a woman carrying a baby and a boy. They are regarded as a fatherless family. Hence, they have to deal with themselves throughout the journey. The elderly is absorbed in thought. The boy is sleeping and the woman seems taking rest with the baby.
  

Why this work interests you/ your own opinion of the work

This painting in contemporary era, mid 19th century, was influential. This was because it provoked people to put sympathy on the poor. This painting also catered the society when the lower class people was striking for their rights. However, if the same painting appears in nowadays in order to arouse people's attention on lower class people, this would be a joke.
Since Realism is nowadays misunderstood as realism with small letter 'r' which means that a successful realistic artwork should mirror the real world, photograph should be used in order to have emotional arousal.

Besides, the painting now is not provoking enough. Also, Daumier painted it in comic style. People now would not treat it seriously. Unless, photograph is used instead. To be more provoking, the poor living and working environment or anywhere they used to stay with terribly poor condition should be shown.

Because of the overflow of images, our visions are not easy to be satisfied. When i come across with this painting, i hardly believe that it can do anything during the period of Realism. But comparing with the paintings from Renaissance, Baroque, this painting is much closer to human being and human life. It not merely reveals the good things in life, but the negative side. This is real life!

Names of authors, titles of articles, books or websites (and publication information) that are especially relevant to this work

Books:

馬鳳林, 寫實主義-- 政治的寒暑與藝術的興衰, p.3-7

Laurie Schneider-Adams,Art Across Time,Vol 2,2nd edition(Boston:McGraw Hill College,2002),p.777-785(Nineteenth-Century Realism until to Honore Daumier)

Websites:

http://www.artble.com/artists/honore_daumier/paintings/the_third-class_carriage/more_information/analysis

http://www.artble.com/artists/honore_daumier/paintings/the_third-class_carriage

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/daumier/

A thought-provoking question about the work for the class

If today you want to arouse the awareness or sympathy of people on lower class people, based on this painting, what would you do to rearrange it? Why do you have such arrangement?