The Third Class Carriage by Honore Daumier focuses on the struggles of the lower classes and emphasizes the hard-working people in the picture to create sympathy. Their clothes are worn down and soiled. The family seems exhausted, further adding to the effect of poverty. Their facial expressions, droopy and heavy, exacerbate their condition.

 The background is filled with crowded groups of people, dressed to seem as part of the higher class. Their ignorant expressions show their disregard for the lower classes, further adding to the isolation and heaviness of the group. The painting shows some of the problems sparked by industrialization.  With the radical rise in power that the aristocracy enjoyed, lower classes were forced to make a living by doing hard labor, an unrewarding and gruesome profession. The lighting in the painting mainly comes from the windows where the upper class are sitting.  However, complementary spotlights glow from the grandma and mother, possibly alluding to a hopeful future and further emphasis on the family’s difficulties.