← Honoré Daumier

Galileo: You wouldn't be annoyed, my good Joshua, to stop the sun once again for the sake of my show, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, February 22, 1867

Original title: Galileo: You wouldn't be annoyed, my good Joshua, to stop the sun once again for the sake of my show, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, February 22, 1867

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

February 22 ,1867

Medium

Lithograph and pen and brown ink on newsprint; third state of three, proof (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 15/16 × 8 3/4 in. (25.3 × 22.2 cm) Sheet: 13 11/16 × 10 11/16 in. (34.7 × 27.2 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956

kurzbeschreibung

Unlike related sheets from the same series, this 1867 lithograph by Honoré Daumier pairs a brown ink pen drawing with the printed newspaper page. Two figures in classical-style dress stand before a pattern of sunrays. It is the third state of three from the series 'News of the day'.

Description

At the left foreground stands a figure with shield and lance, while a second figure on the right gazes up at the sky. A halo of rays radiates from a large bright area at the upper right. The garments have an antique look, and shield and lance are drawn in detail. Handwritten notes along the lower margin concern the lithograph and its publisher.

Context

The sheet was published on 22 February 1867 in the satirical journal Le Charivari. Within Daumier's series 'News of the day', which took up daily events and social questions, it holds a particular place. The scene refers to Galileo Galilei and his conflict with the Church; the visual idea also draws on the biblical Joshua, who stopped the sun.

Impact

The shift between lithography and pen drawing gives the sheet a sketchy liveliness that carries its satirical tone. Light and dark passages are set in strong contrast, bringing the figures and their handling of the celestial phenomenon into focus. Through its historical reference the image gains a reflective depth that invites thought.

Technique

A lithograph underlies the work, reworked with pen and brown ink on newsprint. This copy is the third state of three and is recorded as a proof (Delteil). Lithography allows fine lines and shading, which the pen drawing complements.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)