Pleasure Train
1903
Félix Vallotton serves up a masterclass in irony with this print titled 'Pleasure Train.' Despite the cheerful name, the scene is pure chaos: a cramped train compartment where a man struggles with a massive hatbox while a woman glares at him over a wailing baby. The caption at the bottom, 'Only seven hours left!...', perfectly captures the shared misery of a long, uncomfortable journey. Vallotton uses sharp lines and stark black-and-white contrasts to turn a mundane travel nightmare into a hilarious, relatable moment of frustration.