A satirical 1857 lithograph by Honoré-Victorin Daumier depicting a couple's humorous panic over the predicted arrival of a comet.

This lithograph belongs to the series Croquis Parisiens, published in the French periodical Le Charivari in 1857. Honoré-Victorin Daumier, a master of social and political satire, captures a moment of domestic panic triggered by the public hysteria surrounding the predicted arrival of a comet. The scene depicts a man peering through a telescope from a balcony, while his wife, Adélaide, approaches with a candle, expressing her alarm at the prospect of the end of the world.

Daumier employs his characteristic expressive line work to convey the absurdity of the situation. The man, dressed in a nightcap and simple attire, appears frantic, his posture leaning into the telescope as if to confirm his fears. Adélaide, with her hand raised in a gesture of shock, provides a counterpoint to his obsession. The stark contrast between the dark interior and the starlit sky outside creates a sense of theatrical tension.

As a social commentator, Daumier often used the medium of lithography to critique the anxieties and superstitions of the Parisian middle class. By focusing on the mundane setting of a bedroom balcony, he grounds the cosmic fear in the reality of daily life. The text below the image records the dialogue between the two figures, adding a layer of narrative humour that was typical of his work for the press. This print offers a glimpse into the cultural climate of mid-nineteenth-century France, where scientific curiosity frequently collided with popular alarmism. The composition is balanced, with the figures positioned to draw the eye toward the telescope, which serves as the primary instrument of their collective dread. Daumier’s ability to render human emotion through exaggerated features and dynamic poses remains evident in this work, which functions as both a historical document and a piece of visual storytelling.