Don Quixote and Sancho Pansa 

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza sometime in the mid-19th century, a period of immense social change and upheaval in France. Daumier was a Republican who often used his art to critique the political establishment. Here, the figures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, drawn from Cervantes' novel, serve as vehicles for exploring themes of idealism versus pragmatism, and the relationship between the powerful and the powerless. Daumier does not tell us much about where their adventures might lead, but focuses on the two men. The gaunt knight on horseback appears distanced from us while Sancho Panza and his donkey are much closer in view. We may imagine that Daumier knew a little bit about both characters, the idealist and the grounded laborer. Daumier's deep empathy for the working class informs the emotional tenor of this work. The stark contrasts and somber tones evoke a sense of melancholy, inviting us to reflect on the human condition amidst social inequality. The print resonates as a commentary on the struggles of ordinary people against the backdrop of grand narratives.