Artwork
Un nouvel Hercule Farnèse
Un nouvel Hercule Farnèse is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph Un nouvel Hercule Farnèse presents a towering, muscular figure in a pose reminiscent of classical sculpture.
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph Un nouvel Hercule Farnèse presents a towering, muscular figure in a pose reminiscent of classical sculpture. The print combines a heroic stance with contemporary elements, a syringe protruding from the figure’s forearm and a bone marked “boulettes empoison” clutched in his hand, while a group of diminutive animals cower at his feet. Latin inscription runs along the lower margin, adding a layer of textual irony.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure functions as a satirical analogue of the mythic Hercules, reimagined as a symbol of modern industry. The syringe, rendered as a blunt, club‑like appendage, suggests the paradox of scientific progress as both powerful and potentially harmful. The poisoned bone and the frightened animals amplify the critique, implying that technological advances may threaten the vulnerable and the natural world.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, Daumier employs bold line work and stark contrasts to emphasize the figure’s musculature and the mechanical intrusion of the syringe. The composition balances classical idealization with caricatural exaggeration, a hallmark of Daumier’s printmaking. The Latin caption, integrated into the lower border, functions as a graphic element that unifies text and image within the same visual field.
History & Provenance
Created by Daumier in the mid‑19th century, Un nouvel Hercule Farnèse entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on display. The work reflects Daumier’s prolific engagement with lithography as a medium for social commentary, and its acquisition underscores the museum’s commitment to representing French satirical art of the period.
Context
Daumier produced this print during a time of rapid industrialization and medical advancement in France, when public discourse often oscillated between optimism about scientific progress and anxiety over its consequences. By juxtaposing a classical hero with a syringe, the artist comments on the ambivalence of the era, aligning the work with broader 19th‑century critiques of modernization.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…
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