The Prodigal Son
1801 to 1825
Medium
pen and black ink with black wash on laid paper
Dimensions
overall (approximate): 21.2 x 15 cm (8 3/8 x 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3238
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier’s *The Prodigal Son* captures a timeless biblical parable through the artist’s distinctive draftsmanship. Created in pen and black ink with wash on laid paper, this compact drawing measures just over eight inches tall, suggesting an intimate study rather than a finished exhibition piece. Daumier, best known for his incisive 19th-century caricatures and social commentary, uses fluid lines and rich tonal washes to convey the emotional weight of the story, emphasizing gesture and human vulnerability over elaborate detail. Although dated broadly to the early 1800s, the work reflect...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 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...