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.
Artist & collection
Artist
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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