The Torments of Tantalus... Water Included, from 'News of the Day,' published in Le Charivari, November 23, 1870
Original title: The torments of Tantalus... water included, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, November 23, 1870
kurzbeschreibung
A figure in a helmet and jacket crouches under a torrential downpour — a motif by Honoré Daumier dated 23 November 1870. The caricatural idea draws on the mythological figure of Tantalus and links his torments to water. The print was published in the satirical journal Le Charivari as part of the series 'Actualités'.
Description
A figure cowers or kneels in the image, struck by a violent shower; helmet and jacket cover the body. The dark, rainy background heightens the force of the precipitation. Below the scene runs the French caption 'Le supplice de Tantale..... eau comprise.', which takes up the mythological allusion. Exaggerated posture and dramatically staged weather create a caricatural-humorous tone.
Context
The print was made during the Franco-Prussian War, while Prussian troops besieged Paris. Le Charivari, a renowned satirical journal, regularly published Daumier's caricatures and commented on political and social grievances. The reference to Tantalus, who in Greek mythology endures eternal hunger and thirst, can be related to the hardships of the siege, under which the population suffered from food shortages. For his current political criticism, Daumier used lithography as his medium.
Impact
The drastically demonstrated suffering and the ironic caption have an immediate effect on the viewer. The mythological parallel prompts reflection, while the caricatural exaggeration creates distance again. The combination of humor and seriousness produces a concise commentary on the circumstances of the time.
Technique
Daumier worked in lithography: a drawing is transferred to the stone and then printed. The print appeared on newsprint and is in the second state of two (Delteil). With an image size of 22.5 × 17.4 cm and a sheet format of 30.2 × 20.9 cm, it corresponds to the usual dimensions of caricatures in satirical journals.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)