The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 20, 2026

A vertically oriented print in black ink on off-white paper depicts a round, light-skinned man in checkered clothing walking toward our right over ground littered with books. He holds a tattered umbrella and a hat filled with coins while carrying a chair and a drum with a central tear on his back. Books labeled "Album" swirl in the air. Text at bottom reads "C'est la fin du monde!" and "1824" appears upper right.

Lithographic Sketches: It is the End of the World! (frontispiece)

1824

Nicolas Toussaint Charlet

(French, 1792–1845)
published by

Gihaut

France, 19th century
lithograph
Image: 20.1 x 15.7 cm (7 15/16 x 6 3/16 in.)
Anonymous gift in honor of John Bonebrake 1997.228
Catalogue raisonné: Béraldi, vol. IV, p. 124, no. 9
Location: Not on view

Description

The museum's extensive collection of early lithography documents the development of the technique in Europe. Invented by a German, Alois Senefelder (1771-1834), in 1798 for commercial purposes, lithography was quickly adopted by artists. Lithography did not begin in France until 1816, however, when two workshops were established in Paris. By 1824 so many lithographs were being produced that a deluge of lithographic albums could end the world!
  • From Rembrandt to Rauschenberg: Recently Acquired Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17-November 26, 2000).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; September 17 - November 26, 2000. "From Rembrandt to Rauschenberg: Recently Acquired Prints."
  • {{cite web|title=Lithographic Sketches: It is the End of the World! (frontispiece)|url=false|author=Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, Gihaut|year=1824|access-date=20 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1997.228