Story Le Rubis Du Grand-lama 

Edouard Riou made this engraving, titled "Story Le Rubis Du Grand-lama," in France during the late 19th century. It depicts a fantastical flying platform, billowing smoke, and adorned with flags, hovering above a seascape. This image, with its peculiar blend of technological aspiration and colonial fantasy, speaks volumes about the cultural anxieties and ambitions of its time. The late 1800s in France was a period marked by rapid industrial advancement, colonial expansion, and a fascination with technological progress. Riou’s flying platform seems to capture this spirit, offering a vision of unprecedented power and mobility. But it also reflects the imperial imagination of the era, as France and other European powers were actively colonizing vast territories across the globe. Such art, published in popular journals, served to legitimize and normalize imperial projects. To understand this artwork, we need to look at its cultural context, examining the history of technology, French imperialism, and the popular imagery of the period. By exploring these avenues, we can better grasp the complex interplay of power, imagination, and representation that shaped its creation and reception.