Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879) Ce qui représente la mer au peuple le plus spirituel de la terre (This is how one represents the sea to the sharpest people on earth), 1856 Lithograph Gift of Eugene L. Garbaty, 1954.165
Elaborate stage sets, machinery, and manpower were used to create special effects like this recreation of the ocean during a vogue for maritime dramas in the 1850s. Though many popular theaters were forced to close during Hauss-mannization, this urban renewal project provoked a boom in theater going, theater building, and innovative set de-sign.