1858
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Ah!... les comètes... is a 1858 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a worried-looking older man in a dark coat, standing in a crowd. He’s holding a cane and looking up at a bright, streaky comet in the sky. Behind him, people huddle together under umbrellas, and buildings line the street. The caption below jokes about comets bringing bad luck—here, it hints at a sudden death. Daumier often used humor to comment on everyday life. Want to see more? Check out lithography to learn how artists like Daumier made prints like this.
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
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