Ulysse et Pénélope 1842

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph called "Ulysse et Pénélope". Daumier lived through a period of immense social and political change in France, including the rise of the bourgeoisie and the 1848 Revolution. His work often critiques the powerful through caricature. Here, he turns his attention to Homer’s Odyssey. The story of Odysseus and Penelope is traditionally one of heroism, love, and faithfulness. He is the brave hero who undertakes a long and difficult journey home, and she is the ever-patient and faithful wife. But Daumier subverts this narrative. We find a very aged Odysseus in bed, a spinning wheel above. Is Penelope now aging too? Are they weary of each other? This isn’t a romantic scene but rather one that’s heavy with the weight of time and perhaps, the loss of youthful ideals. The artist reframes the epic tale within the realities of aging, where even legendary figures are subject to the ordinary passage of time. Daumier invites us to consider the endurance, but also the potential burdens, of long-term commitment.