Oedipe chez le Sphinx 1842

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph entitled "Oedipe chez le Sphinx". Daumier made art during a time of great social change. His lithographs often served as social commentary, critiquing the bourgeoisie of 19th-century France. In this image, Daumier illustrates a moment from Greek mythology, Oedipus encountering the Sphinx. What is presented here is a stark and vulnerable Oedipus, unnerved by the Sphinx. How does the myth resonate beyond its historical context? Oedipus's tale explores themes of fate, identity, and the burdens of knowledge. He has been adopted, abandoned, and even cursed; a stranger to himself. This resonates deeply with contemporary concerns about identity, particularly when one is faced with the unknown and the unknowable. Daumier presents us with a moment of reckoning. What about this piece resonates with you? What aspects of your own identity are you grappling with? Daumier prompts us to reflect on the complexities of existence, suggesting that our identities are shaped by forces beyond our control.