Télémaque et Mentor

Honoré Daumier

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an elderly bearded figure overseeing the fall of another figure. The elderly figure is standing atop a rocky surface, depicted with exaggerated features and a hunched posture, wearing a simple cloth garment and a headband. Beneath him, a second figure appears to be tumbling downward, with legs flailing in the air and what looks like a butterfly fluttering nearby. The composition conveys a sense of action. The drawing uses bold lines and shading to create depth and character expression, illustrating a narrative scene in a stark black-and-white manner. The drawing is characterized by exaggerated human forms typical of caricature art.