Télémaque interrogé par les sages 1842

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled “Télémaque interroge par les sages” showing Telemachus questioned by sages. Here, we see the young man, a figure from Greek mythology, confronted by a panel of solemn, scrutinizing elders. The act of questioning and judgment is a recurring motif throughout art history, surfacing in scenes from religious trials to philosophical debates. Consider, for instance, how similar themes appear in Renaissance depictions of Christ before the Sanhedrin. The tension is palpable. Yet Daumier distorts these classical tropes, imbuing his figures with grotesque features, mocking the very idea of wisdom and authority. This hints at a deeper psychological unease, a questioning of inherited knowledge and the figures who guard it. Such images serve not only as historical records but also as psychological mirrors, reflecting our anxieties about the weight of the past and the burden of tradition. It is a cyclical return, a new interpretation of old archetypes.