GENERAL DESCRIPTION
You aren't sorry to miss on this day
a knife in order to dine,
said the amiable tyrant. I say
said Damocles, if this is a pun
I find that the point is not fine.
According to Greek mythology, the courtier Damocles admired the power and fortune enjoyed by King Dionysius. When the monarch offered to switch places with Damocles, he eagerly accepted and quickly sat in the king's luxurious throne, only to realize a huge sword held by a single hair from a horse’s tail hung above him. Damocles begged permission to depart, as he realized that with great fortune and power comes great responsibility and danger.
Honoré Daumier made this work during a period when censorship became repressive, hanging as the sword of Damocles over the heads of artists and journalists. In this comical scenario, which was published in Le Charivari on June 12, 1842, as part of the Ancient Stories series, Daumier made a not-so-veiled reference to his opinion about the prevailing lack of freedom of the press.
Excerpt from
Martha MacLeod, DMA label copy, 2016.
NOTES
Created 1842
October 2016
Checked Piction
Plate 11 state 2
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Daumier, Honoré (French, 1808-1879)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Paris (France): TGN: 7008038
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Historical periods
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WEB RESOURCES
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC~Read a biography of Daumier from the NGA.
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Apply to objects where number equals 2000.76.FA
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General Description
You aren't sorry to miss on this day
a knife in order to dine,
said the amiable tyrant. I say
said Damocles, if this is a pun
I find that the point is not fine.
According to Greek mythology, the courtier Damocles admired the power and fortune enjoyed by King Dionysius. When the monarch offered to switch places with Damocles, he eagerly accepted and quickly sat in the king's luxurious throne, only to realize a huge sword held by a single hair from a horse’s tail hung above him. Damocles begged permission to depart, as he realized that with great fortune and power comes great responsibility and danger.
Honoré Daumier made this work during a period when censorship became repressive, hanging as the sword of Damocles over the heads of artists and journalists. In this comical scenario, which was published in Le Charivari on June 12, 1842, as part of the Ancient Stories series, Daumier made a not-so-veiled reference to his opinion about the prevailing lack of freedom of the press.
Excerpt from
Martha MacLeod, DMA label copy, 2016.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Created 1842
October 2016
Checked Piction
Plate 11 state 2
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Daumier, Honoré (French, 1808-1879)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Paris (France): TGN: 7008038
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
2000.76.FA
source file
object_notes_2_c-0248.xml.nores