The Astronomical Drawings of Étienne Léopold Trouvelot

Art has the uncanny ability to bring scientific discoveries to life in a way that allows the world to understand and marvel at them; think of Da Vinci’s anatomical drawings or Audubon’s birds. The work of French artist and astronomer, Étienne Léopold Trouvelot (1827−1895) did the same for astronomy.

Prior to advances in photography, Trouvelot’s drawings of planets, comets, and other astronomical phenomena were the first glimpse into space for a public who had never seen Saturn's rings or Jupiter's giant red spot.

Gazing through the Harvard College’s Observatory’s 15” refractor telescope and the United States Navy’s 26” Great Equatorial telescope, Trouvelot created thousands of drawings using high pigment pastels, some of which he exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. His goal was not only to create a record for astronomers, but to capture the majestic beauty of our solar system.

In 1882, Trouvelot’s Astronomical Drawings, a selection of 15 of his best images in chromolithographic prints, was published by Scribner & Sons and purchased by museums and libraries as valuable reference tools. As 20th century photography improved and astronomers soon had higher quality images of celestial objects, the original 300 sets were discarded or sold as individual works. It is rare to find a full set.

In 2002, we received a set of 14 of the original 15 prints as a donation from the Fairfield Astronomical Society, and we are pleased to display eight of the original prints. Stop in to see these stunning and historic works in the Bendel Mansion through May 27, 2025.