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Date of Creation:
1868
Height (cm):
51.00
Length (cm):
32.00
Medium:
Oil
Support:
Canvas
Subject:
Figure
Art Movement:
Realism
Created by:
Current Location:
Munich, Germany
Displayed at:
Neue Pinakothek
Owner:
Neue Pinakothek
Don Quixote Analysis Page's Content
Daumier intended to depict the mythology and symbolism of Don Quixote on his own terms. And this is one of several paintings in the series. During the latter part of the series, Daumier moved from painting specific scenes to generalizations that increasingly become archetypes in their own right. This is one of the latter paintings.
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier 
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier The use of space is meager, with most of the space being used up in the center. However, the contents of the center more than make up for the lack of occupied space in the rest of the painting. The upper third of the canvas is left almost completely bare, except for the lance that juts through it. 
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier 
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier Most curiously, the face of the rider is brown, but his leg is revealed to be pale white. In previous paintings of this series, Daumier painted Sancho Panza alongside Don Quixote. Don Quixote is usually depicted as being pale, while Sancho is darker. Scholars have suggested that Daumier's later decision to paint only Don Quixote was his attempt not to exclude Sancho, but to merge the two characters. One wonders why the face of the rider is dark, along with the hand that charges forth with the lance, while the leg is white, almost as if revealing an underbelly. 
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier
Daumier's control of tonal nuances gives him a remarkable ability to capture space and light. He manages to make the image look quite simple, while at the same time inviting the reader in for a further look.
Don Quixote Honoré Daumier
At this stage in his life, Daumier was unable to make detailed brush strokes because he was losing his eyesight. The brush work has a passionate restraint that communicates a quiet intensity. Also, it seems to be executed with a rhythmic evenness throughout the piece, giving the entire work uniformity.
The perspective is one of the rider dominating the foreground. We see him charging forth, but we do not know what is ahead. The most important part of the perspective is what is not shown, that is, the unknown.
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