The artwork titled “A Wagon of the Third Class,” created by the artist Honoré Daumier in 1862, is an oil painting on canvas. It is associated with the Realism art movement and measures 67 by 93 centimeters. The genre painting depicts ordinary scenes from everyday life, a hallmark of its style. This masterpiece is housed in the National Gallery of Canada, located in Ottawa, Canada.
The artwork portrays a crowded and dimly lit interior of a railway carriage, populated with various individuals representing different social strata. The ambiance suggests a sense of weariness among the passengers who occupy the third-class compartment. Each figure is absorbed in their own world; a woman cradles a child, an elderly woman holds a basket, individuals engage in conversation, while others sit in contemplative silence. Light filtering through the windows provides a glimpse into the exterior as the train travels, creating contrast and highlighting the textured, expressive brushwork characteristic of Daumier’s realistic portrayal of the human condition.
