“A Wagon of the Third Class,” created by Honoré Daumier between circa 1862 and circa 1864, is an artwork rendered using charcoal, ink, watercolor, and paper. Exhibiting the Realism movement, this genre painting is housed in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD, US.
The artwork depicts an interior scene of a crowded third-class railway carriage, with the artist focusing on the socio-economic conditions of the lower class during that period. The passengers, depicted with raw and expressive brushstrokes, are engaged in various mundane activities, highlighting their everyday struggles and poignant resilience. The subdued color palette and the attention to detail in the figures’ expressions and postures evoke a deeply empathetic representation of the ordinary lives of these individuals. The dim lighting and confined space further accentuate the sense of hardship and camaraderie among the travelers, reflecting Daumier’s acute social commentary and mastery in capturing the essence of human experience.
