1842
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Oedipe chez le Sphinx is a 1842 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two figures in a rocky, dim setting. One person stands barefoot, wearing a loose robe, with their arms raised like they’re asking a question. The other figure crouches, holding a big rock, with wild hair and a crown of leaves on their head. The background looks like a cave or forest, with rough walls and scattered stones. The standing figure looks nervous, while the crouching one seems fierce. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and emotion. This isn’t a realistic scene—it’s a story with symbols. Check out how this was made using lithography.
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.
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