Artwork
Les planetes étant elles-mêmes
Les planetes étant elles-mêmes is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Les planetes étant elles-mêmes is a 1857 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, featuring mythological figures observing the night sky through telescopes.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts eight classical figures floating on clouds, clad in flowing robes, as they gaze through telescopes at the starry sky, satirizing the intersection of science and mythology.
Technique & Style
Daumier's detailed monochrome style creates a textured, emotive effect, using light and shadow to convey the figures' anticipation and the clouds' palpability.
Context
The work pokes fun at those who approach complex subjects with an air of seriousness they don't entirely deserve, using the juxtaposition of ancient attire and modern scientific instruments to humorous effect.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…
Saint Mitophan et le dieu mars ...
Alpheus and Arethusa
Fonctionnaires ... veillant au salut de l'empire! ...
The Feast of Anthony and Cleopatra (Le festin d'Antoine et de Cleopatre)
Venus Entrusting Cupid to Time
Finale of the Rhinegold
Ayant eu la facheuse idée d'aller ... au bord de l'eau
Commission des bastonnades