Parisians already taking their precautions to avoid being roasted by the comet, plate 410 from Actualités 1857

"Parisians already taking their precautions to avoid being roasted by the comet" is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier from 1857. The satirical image, which was originally part of the Parisian journal Actualités, depicts Parisians wading in the Seine to avoid being roasted by a comet. Daumier’s caricature highlights the Parisian anxieties regarding the approaching comet, mocking the fear and superstition that surrounded this celestial event. The print is a striking example of Daumier’s keen social commentary and masterful use of caricature, a style that was popularized during the mid 19th century.