The Prodigal Son

Honoré Daumier

Associated Names
Honoré Daumier

Artist, French, 1808 - 1879

The image shows a sketch of two individuals in a dynamic interaction. One figure is bent over, while the second figure stands closely behind, with arms around the first, possibly assisting or supporting them. The sketch style is loose with flowing lines that suggest movement, but there are no details on facial features or hair. The figures lack detailed clothing details, giving them a more sculptural quality with emphasized anatomical lines. The background is plain and unadorned, directing focus to the figures. The sketch is monochromatic with light shading, providing depth and dimension to the figures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with wash on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 9.2 x 6.4 cm (3 5/8 x 2 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.3255

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Maison 1968, no. 757

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

LJR (Lugt Supp.1760b)

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1999

  • Daumier: 1808-1879, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., 1999-2000, no. 193, repro. (shown only in Ottawa).

2013

  • Daumier ist ungebeuer!, Stiftung Brandenburger Tor der Landesbank Berlin Holding AG, Max Lieberman Haus, Berlin, 2013, no. 8.19, repro.

Bibliography

1968

  • Maison, K.E. Honore Daumier: Catalogue Raisonne of the Paintings, Watercolors, and Drawings. 2 vols. Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1968.

Inscriptions

in later hand, lower right verso: KK 1049

Wikidata ID

Q64574421

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