From Scylla to Charybdis, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 20, 1869

Art Historical Context

Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, created *From Scylla toarybdis* as part of the "News of the Day" for *Le Charivari*, a pioneering satirical newspaper. Published on March 20, 1869, during the waning years of Napoleon III's Second Empire, color lithograph captures Daumier's signature blend of sharp social commentary and expressive realism. The title draws from Homer's *Odyssey*, evoking the perilous strait between the monster Scylla and thepool Charybdis metaphor for navigating impossible dilemmas amid France's turbulent politics and social upheavals. Rendered in the third state of three (per Delteil's catalog), the print employs vibrant color lithography on wove paper, a technique Daumier perfected to produce affordable, mass-distributed critiques of the bourgeoisie and government. Measuring about 9½ by 8⅝ inches, it features women rowing boats, symbolizing perhaps the precarious plight of everyday figures—especially women—in a chaotic world. This medium allowed Daumier's dynamic lines and exaggerated forms to convey humor and pathos, influencing later cartoonists worldwide. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957), the work exemplifies Daumier's prolific output of over 4,000 lithographs, offering visitors a witty window into 1860s Parisian life and the power of visual satire.

About the Artist

Honoré Daumier|Destouches|Arnaud de Vresse · 1810–1879

Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...