They think they might be able to overtake the train!!!, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 3/8 × 8 5/16 in. (23.8 × 21.1 cm) Sheet: 14 5/16 × 10 1/8 in. (36.3 × 25.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.114
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling pages of *Le Charivari*,'s premier satirical newspaper, Honoré Daumier—alongside collaborators Walter Frères and Arnaud Vresse—captured the era's technological fervor with this lively lithograph from May 6, 1870. Titled *They think they might be to overtake the train!!! it pokes fun at horse-drawn carriages racing futilely against the unstoppable might of the steam locomotive, reflecting the rapid of railways during the Second French Empire. Published in the "News of the Day", it embodies the witty social commentary that defined Daumier's career, highlighting the clash between old-world traditions and modern progress. Daumier's masterful lithography, printed on wove paper in its second state (as cataloged by Delteil), brings dynamic energy to the scene through bold lines and exaggerated figures. Men in carriages whip their horses in a comical bid for speed, underscoring railways' transformative impact on travel and commerce in 1870s Europe. This print, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection (Rogers Fund, 1922), exemplifies caricature as a tool for cultural critique, making complex societal shifts accessible and entertaining. At just 9⅜ × 8½ inches, its compact scale belies its sharp humor, inviting viewers to chuckle at humanity's optimistic defiance of innovation—a timeless theme in Daumier's vast output of over 4,000 lithographs.
About the Artist
Walter Frères|Honoré Daumier|Arnaud de Vresse (French|French|French) · 1856 |1808 | –1870 |1879 |
|French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|