Frontispiece for L'Illustration Nouvelle: The Burial of the Burin

Félix-Hilaire Buhot

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a steam locomotive with symbolic imagery and chaos surrounding it. The painting showcases a steam engine with "L'ILLUSTRATION NOUVELLE PARIS" and the year "1877" prominently displayed on its front. The locomotive is heading towards the foreground along a set of tracks. In the background, the landscape and sky are filled with various figures, celestial beings, clouds, and smoke, creating a scene of chaos. Figures appear to be in different states of movement, interacting with each other in the sky. There are shadows, demons, and other mythical entities shown in the scene. The left side of the canvas features the year "1876."