Hercules Tamed By Love. This mischievous God in his triumphant ways subjects all, kings, shepherds, heroes and gays, Alcide interrupts his dreaded exploits and binds him while Omphale overjoys. (Gallant poetry by Monsieur Sauzet), plate 25 from Histoire Ancienne

Despite the skepticism artists such as Delacroix felt toward the importance of antiquity to modern painting, Daumier’s prints made ancient lives newly relevant as well as superbly humorous. In December 1841 Charivari announced the artist’s new series: “We have sent Monsieur Daumier to Greece, alone and without any scientific support. He worked day and night to reveal the Greek soul of the past. . . . Daumier brings antiquity back to us.” The three Historie Ancienne (Stories from Antiquity) prints on view in this gallery show that love in Ancient Greece was just as forceful and complicated as in 19th- century life—with images ranging from this enamored, subservient Hercules to a suicidal Sappho.