Chromolithographic Wonders: Delving into “The Universal Favorite” (1889)

In the year Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee, printmakers in Europe captured public fascination with the night sky in a richly layered chromolithograph titled “The Universal Favorite.” This 1889 print depicts an allegorical Moon maiden poised upon a luminous crescent, her gaze lifted toward a trailing comet. Beyond its decorative allure, it stands at the crossroads of Victorian astronomy, mythic symbolism, and groundbreaking printing technology.

Victorian Astronomy Meets Popular Culture

The late 19th century witnessed an unprecedented democratization of astronomical knowledge. Advances in telescope making—such as Thomas Grubb’s large refractors—and the establishment of public observatories in London (Wilkinson’s or the Royal Observatory) and Paris opened the heavens to educated amateurs. Popular periodicals like Knowledge and Good Words serialized celestial discoveries alongside practical star charts, while illustrated exhibitions at the British Science Guild and the Exposition Universelle of 1889 featured astronomical apparatus and night-sky panoramas.

Within this context, publishers recognized a growing appetite for visually compelling prints that fused scientific subject matter with decorative elegance. “The Universal Favorite” tapped into that zeitgeist—celebrating the cosmic spectacle in terms both empirical (comet, phases of the moon) and poetic (classical deities, allegory). It offered lay audiences an aesthetic entry point into scientific discourse.

Chromolithography: Technique & Craft

Chromolithography emerged in the mid-1800s as a breakthrough in color printing. Unlike earlier hand-colored engravings, chromolithographs used a separate lithographic stone (or metal plate) for each hue. In the case of a largely monochromatic design like “The Universal Favorite,” craftsmen would prepare:

• Key-Plate Stone: A finely grained stone etched with the outline and tonal values of the maiden and lunar forms in dense black.
• Gray-Wash Plates: One or two stones for midtone washes, producing the subtle gradations visible in the shroud-like drapery and the moon’s cratered texture.
• Pearlescent Layer: A final plate applying a metallic or pearlescent ink to accentuate highlights on the crescent and comet trail, giving the print its ethereal shimmer.

Each plate was inked and printed in precise register—meaning that the impressions aligned perfectly with one another. This painstaking, multi-pass process could require more than a dozen runs through the press and days of drying time between layers. The result, however, was unmatched depth and luminosity, even in a primarily grayscale palette.

Mythic Symbolism & Composition

The imagery of “The Universal Favorite” draws upon ancient lunar iconography. In Greek myth, Selene—the personification of the Moon—drove her silver chariot across the night sky, attended by stars. Victorian artists reinterpreted Selene as a more contemplative figure, her gaze turning outward toward the mysteries of space rather than inward to earthly realms.

Key compositional elements include:

• Crescent Platform: The upward-swept crescent cradles the figure, suggesting both safety and the cyclical nature of lunar phases.
• Draped Costume: The billowing folds of her garment echo nebulae and cosmic clouds, tying human form to astronomical phenomena.
• Cometary Tail: Positioned diagonally across the composition, the comet’s streak balances the circular crescent and imparts a sense of dynamic motion.
• Negative Space: The vast ebony background amplifies the print’s focal elements, evoking infinity while centering the viewer’s attention.

Cultural Relevance & Domestic Display

By the 1880s, chromolithographs had become accessible to a burgeoning middle class eager to furnish parlors with tasteful art. “The Universal Favorite” would have been sold as a decorative print, perhaps alongside floral art or pastoral scenes. Its allure lay in bridging high culture (classical mythology, scientific wonders) with mass appeal (affordable, visually striking wall art).

The print exemplified a broader cultural movement: the Victorian belief in progress through science, tempered by a Romantic penchant for allegory and beauty. It resonated with audiences not only for its aesthetic qualities but also as a symbol of humanity’s expanding horizon—both literally, as telescopes probed deeper into space, and figuratively, as print technology leapt forward.

Preservation & Enduring Legacy

Today, “The Universal Favorite” is prized by collectors of Victorian ephemera and print history. Its preservation demands careful attention:

• UV-Filtering Glazing: Shields sensitive inks from fading under modern lighting.
• Acid-Free Mounting: Prevents paper embrittlement and yellowing over time.
• Climate Control: Consistent humidity (45–55%) and temperature (65–70°F) slow the degradation of both paper fibers and ink layers.

More than a relic, this print stands as a testament to an era when art and science converged on the page. It reminds us that the wonder of the cosmos has long been a universal favorite—captured not only in telescopic charts and observatory domes but also in the deft hands of chromolithographers who rendered the heavens for all to see.