plate no. 6713
A Wagon of the Third Class
Honore Daumier, 1864
recreation guide
Honoré Daumier’s 'A Wagon of the Third Class' (1864) is a seminal work of Realism that captures the dignity and exhaustion of the working class, a subject Daumier explored repeatedly throughout his career (Source 5). Unlike the polished finish of academic painting, Daumier’s approach was characterized by a 'searching truthfulness' and a directness that blurred the boundaries between caricature and fine art (Source 7). The work is executed in charcoal, ink, and watercolor on paper, utilizing the fluidity of these media to create expressive lines and tonal masses rather than detailed realism. Daumier did not identify strictly as a realist ideologue but rather allowed his 'second nature' to depict the social realities he observed, often painting subjects like third-class carriages multiple times to exhaust the theme (Source 5).
estimated time
10-15 hours over 3-4 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| High-quality watercolor paper (linen rag preferred) | To support washes and resist warping; historical texts emphasize linen rags bleached by air/sunlight for durability (Source 2). | Cold-pressed 300gsm cotton or linen rag watercolor paper. |
| Charcoal sticks | For the initial underdrawing and shading, allowing for easy correction before paint application (Source 4). | Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal sticks. |
| Japanese-style brushes (long and short) | Long brushes for continuous lines, short brushes for sharp corners and broken lines, facilitating the expressive line quality Daumier is known for (Source 3). | Hake brushes for washes and round sable brushes for detail. |
| Ink stick and inkstone (or high-quality bottled ink) | For line drawing and defining forms; Japanese ink is noted for its intense blackness and suitability for line work (Source 3). | Sumi ink or high-quality drawing ink. |
| Watercolors (earth tones, ochres, umbers) | For washes and tonal modeling. Historical advice suggests using substantial earths and ochres for fixedness and covering power (Source 1). | Professional grade watercolors including Raw Umber, Yellow Ochre, and Sepia. |
| Gum Arabic | As an agglutinative for watercolors, ensuring the paint binds properly to the paper (Source 2). | Pre-mixed watercolors already contain gum arabic; additional gum can be used for glazes. |
preparation
surface prep
The paper should be dry and free from dampness to prevent sizing fermentation and decomposition (Source 2). Ideally, use paper made from linen rags, bleached naturally, to ensure longevity and proper interaction with the watercolor washes. Avoid papers with surface sizing that can wear off during prolonged work, leading to irregular sponginess and stains (Source 2).
underdrawing
Begin with charcoal to draw and shade the composition. Charcoal is preferred because it offers little resistance to the brush and can be easily corrected with bread or erasure before paint is applied (Source 4). Make all corrections in this stage, as correcting in paint is 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 4). The drawing should capture the essential forms and masses, potentially using the 'notan massing' approach suggested for line drawing exercises (Source 3).
underpainting
Apply initial washes using watercolors ground with gum arabic. Daumier’s style often involved a mixture of opaque body colors and transparent washes (Source 2). Use raw umber and softer whites to set the palette, potentially going over the painting three or four times to build up depth (Source 4). Reserve the paper for lights, as is traditional in watercolor practice (Source 2).
color palette
Raw Umber
Raw Umber pigment
Setting the palette and establishing mid-tones and shadows, consistent with general painting advice for life studies (Source 4).
Yellow Ochre
Natural ochre
General use in the palette; earths and ochres are recommended for their fixedness and ability to produce broken tones (Source 1).
Sepia
Sepia pigment
Adding depth and warmth to shadows; listed as a substantial coloring substance (Source 1).
White
Chalk white or White Lead derivatives
Highlights and mixing; ancient artists used chalk white, and it remains a fundamental component (Source 1).
Black
Ink or charcoal
Defining lines and deep shadows; Daumier’s use of ink and charcoal is central to the medium (Source 3, Source 4).
composition
Daumier characteristically depicted ordinary people engaged in common activities, focusing on the human figure rather than landscape (Source 5, Source 6). His compositions often emphasized the 'uncouthness' and directness of reality, avoiding idealized beauty in favor of truthful representation (Source 5). The arrangement of figures in a third-class wagon would likely focus on the collective experience of the passengers, with no single individual elevated as a portrait subject, consistent with genre painting principles (Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition in charcoal, focusing on the masses and positions of the figures. Use long, continuous lines for broad forms and shorter, broken lines for details, holding the brush or charcoal perpendicular to the paper for freedom of movement (Source 3).
Tip — Correct all errors now; charcoal is easily removable, unlike paint (Source 4).
Charcoal sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin wash of raw umber and water to establish the general tonal values. Use a dry brush to model forms if necessary, but primarily rely on the transparency of the wash (Source 4).
Tip — Ensure the paper is properly sized to prevent uneven absorption (Source 2).
Wash application
first pass
step 03
Build up layers of color using earth tones (ochres, umbers) and sepia. Mix colors with gum arabic to ensure they bind well. Use both opaque body colors and transparent washes to create depth (Source 2).
Tip — Do not overwork the paper; allow layers to dry completely before adding more (Source 2).
Layering washes
refining
step 04
Use ink to define key lines and contours. Hold the brush perpendicular and draw slowly, allowing the line to grow under the brush point. Slight waverings can add character to the line (Source 3).
Tip — Use intense blackness by using minimal water with the ink (Source 3).
Ink line drawing
finishing
step 05
Review the painting for balance and truthfulness. Daumier often painted subjects repeatedly to exhaust the theme, so consider if the emotional idea is fully expressed (Source 5).
Tip — Ensure the work retains the vitality of the medium and does not become a mere deception of nature (Source 8).
Final assessment
critical techniques
Expressive Line Drawing
Using Japanese-style brushes held perpendicular to the paper, drawing slowly with the whole arm to create lines with character and slight waverings (Source 3).
Charcoal Correction
Making all compositional corrections in charcoal before applying paint to maintain lucidity (Source 4).
Mixed Wash and Body Color
Combining transparent washes with opaque body colors to achieve both depth and solidity, a complex style of watercolor painting (Source 2).
common pitfalls
- →Applying paint with obvious errors in construction or drawing, which is 'reckless' and 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 4).
- →Using paper that has suffered from dampness, leading to sizing fermentation and stains (Source 2).
- →Overworking the surface sizing, causing it to wear off and reveal irregularly spongy paper underneath (Source 2).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye with illusionistic detail rather than expressing the emotional idea through the vitality of the medium (Source 8).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific visual details of 'A Wagon of the Third Class' such as exact clothing patterns, facial expressions, or room layout are not described in the provided sources.
- ·Daumier’s specific mixing ratios for his watercolors are not detailed in the sources.
- ·The exact sequence of layers (e.g., whether ink was applied before or after all washes) is not explicitly stated for this specific work.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Selection of earth tones and ochres for their fixedness and covering power.
- CHAPTER XIII. WATER COLOURS — applied to Paper preparation, sizing, and the use of mixed washes and body colors.
Composition↗
- LINE DRAWING — applied to Technique for holding the brush and creating expressive lines.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XXI. THE ART OF DRAWING — applied to Use of charcoal for underdrawing and correction.
- XXII. THE ART OF PAINTING — applied to Philosophy of expression over illusion and the vitality of the medium.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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