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Honoré-Victorin Daumier

“- 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

February 18, 1857
Lithograph in black on ivory wove paper
20.4 × 25.9 cm (8 × 10.2 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

After the Comet of Charles V failed to reappear in the 1840s, as astronomers predicted, a Belgian almanac writer announced that it would arrive on June 13, 1857, when it would collide with the earth and end all life. The prediction spread across Europe, but its effect was particularly pronounced in Paris, where terrified families began to prepare for the end. The situation was ripe for mockery, and it also enabled Daumier to compose a variety of night scenes, which he particularly enjoyed drawing. In this print, he devotes particular care to depicting how the candle illuminates his panicked Parisians.

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