Un Chemin dangereux

Honoré Daumier

National Gallery of Art

The image shows four men climbing up a steep incline. Each man has exaggerated facial features conveying a sense of struggle and urgency. The man at the top has a tall, pointed hairstyle and wears a dark suit. Below him, another man with a round face and balding head is holding onto the first man. The third man wears a conical hat and is being pulled up by the second man. At the bottom, a smaller figure appears to be slipping or falling, wearing a dark suit and an anxious expression. In the background, a figure stands atop a pedestal, covered in drapery with an inscription, and lines suggesting a landscape or clouds. The image is drawn in shades of gray and black with slight speckling on the paper.