‘Les Bigarrures de l’Esprit Humain No.4’, 1838

Description

Mounted coloured lithograph, entitled ‘Les Bigarrures de l’Esprit Humain No.4’, designed by Jean Baptiste Desire Bourdel, lithographed by Lemercier, and published by Hautecoeur Martinet in 1838.

This is a satire on the contemporary search for a stable form of gunpowder. In a laboratory surrounded by alembics and chemical apparatus the chemist, standing facing, announces his amazing discovery of waterproof and incombustible gunpowder, the properties of which he demonstrates by pouring a quantity onto a candle set in a basin of water.

Lettering below design: “Ma fortune est faite! j’ai trouve une poudre à canon imperméable et incombustible.”