Artwork
Ulysse et Pénélope
Ulysse et Pénélope 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
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph *Ulysse et Pénélope*, executed in 1842, presents a domestic interior in which a man and a woman lie together beneath blankets, while a decorative helmet with a plume hangs on the wall behind them. The composition is rendered in Daumier’s brisk, sketch‑like line work, giving the scene a shadowy, intimate atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The image draws on the classical narrative of Odysseus (Ulysses) and his faithful wife Penelope, using the recognizable helmet as a visual cue to the mythic identity of the male figure. By placing the legendary couple in a modest, almost mundane setting, Daumier underscores themes of loyalty and the endurance of marital bonds amid hardship.
Technique & Style
Created through the lithographic process, the print relies on Daumier’s characteristic economy of line and rapid, gestural strokes. The contrast between the darkened interior and the bright, ornamental helmet highlights his skill in manipulating tonal values, while the loose rendering conveys both movement and emotional tension without detailed modeling.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to the period when Daumier was actively contributing to satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. Though primarily known for political caricature, this piece reflects his broader engagement with republican ideals, employing a mythological subject to comment on contemporary values of fidelity and social virtue.
Context
In the early 1840s France, Daumier’s republican sympathies often manifested in critiques of monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. By invoking a classical story, he could veil social commentary within a familiar literary framework, allowing the print to function simultaneously as a narrative illustration and a subtle reflection on the moral climate of his time.
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.
