The image shows two men in a boat on a river. One man is standing and holding a long pole, the other is seated and leaning towards a person swimming beside the boat. The swimmer is in the foreground with their upper body above the water. In the background, there are buildings and silhouettes of people walking along the riverbank. The illustration is accompanied by a French text titled "Les Philantropes du Jour" (The Philanthropists of the Day) and a satirical dialogue capturing comedic and critical elements common in 19th-century caricatures.