Art Institute of Chicago

The Parisians don't quite trust the assurances of Monsieur Babinet and insist on lying in wait for the comet, plate 394 from Actualités

Honoré Victorin Daumier

Date: May 1, 1857
Medium: Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Culture: France
Department: Prints and Drawings
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

Here, a little over a month before the deadly comet is due to land, a couple anxiously watches the skies for its arrival. Jacques Babinet, the “Monsieur Babinet” of the caption, was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and widely known as a charismatic speaker and writer on astronomy. Soon after the prediction was made, he publicly refuted the idea that a comet was going to end the world, in an attempt to quell some of the panic. Babinet was eventually proven right when no comet appeared on June 13, and life persisted.

View at Art Institute of Chicago ↗

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.

Linked open data

Authority identifiers that link this record into the wider web of cultural data — stable references you can follow to the source.

Object type: AAT300041273

Related across collections

Semantically similar works from Art Institute of Chicago and other institutions.

“- Adelaide, Adelaide.. I think I can see the comet coming!!... - Oh my God... this is the end of the world.... how annoying. They promised it wouldn't come until June 13!,” plate 31 from Croquis Parisiens

Art Institute of Chicago

“- Ah yes, those comets, they always predict great misfortunes. It doesn't surprise me at all that poor Madame Galuchet suddenly died last night,” plate 573 from Actualités

Art Institute of Chicago

Monsieur Babinet decides to personally shut down the sun in order for his predictions to be fulfilled, plate 386 from Actualités

Art Institute of Chicago

Ever since Mr. Babinet had announced that the sun might disappear from one moment to the next, the Parisians are taking all necessary precautions, even at mid-day, plate 385 from Actualités

Art Institute of Chicago

Parisians already taking their precautions to avoid being roasted by the comet, plate 410 from Actualités

Art Institute of Chicago

Even the Planets are Watching with Interest the Arrival of the Famous Comet, plate 9 from La Cométe De 1857

Art Institute of Chicago

“- Ah, my dear Madame Chaffarou... this surely must be the end... the comet is coming and the sun is going,” plate 392 from Actualités

Art Institute of Chicago

“- Hello, neighbour... what was all this yelling about... did you see the comet? - I thought I had seen it over there... but then it was just the fire from a chimney... this time we got off with no more than a fright,” plate 3 from La Cométe De 1857

Art Institute of Chicago

Avez-vous bientôt fini ?... c'est un enfer ici ! [...]

Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris

“- I don't want your credits... the expiration date is on the 15th of June and the world is supposed to end on the 13th,” plate 2 from La Cométe De 1857

Art Institute of Chicago

Vous verrez.... rien n'échappera à la baisse... / 3

Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris

“- Monsieur, I quit your service, I am going home... I don't want to be here when the world ends,” plate 4 from La Cométe De 1857

Art Institute of Chicago