Artwork
Télémaque et Mentor
Télémaque et Mentor is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Télémaque et Mentor is a lithograph print by Honoré Daumier, featuring a humorous yet thought-provoking scene.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts an elderly bearded figure watching a younger, rotund man tumble down a rocky slope, surrounded by swirling butterflies. The scene is meant to convey a commentary on pride and folly, with the old man representing wisdom.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed bold, sharp lines to convey a sense of motion and energy, characteristic of his caricature style. The stark black-and-white lithograph format adds to the dynamic narrative.
Context
The artwork's use of lithography, a printmaking technique, allowed for mass production and dissemination of the image, reflecting Daumier's interest in reaching a wider audience.
Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
