The Sky is Falling
History
The 1833 Leonids meteor shower, also known as "The night the stars fell," has been immortalised in a famous depiction produced in 1888 for the Adventist book Bible Readings for the Home Circle.
The wood engraving, created by Adolf Vollmy based on an original painting by Swiss artist Karl Jauslin, was inspired by the first-person account of the 1833 storm by minister Joseph Harvey Waggoner.
This account can be found in the book's page 323, published in 1914 by Review and Herald Publishing Association. During this event, between 50,000 to 150,000 meteors fell per hour. The Leonid meteor shower, which represents a recently formed meteor stream, occurs annually, but tends to increase greatly in visual strength every 33 or 34 years due to the orbital period of the parent comet, Tempel-Tuttle. The meteoroids are mostly clustered in a compact swarm moving in the orbit of the comet, which explains this pattern.
Adolf Vollmy's portrayal of the account is noteworthy, as it conveys the chaos and awe experienced by those who witnessed the shower. Many people believed that it signaled the end of the world. I was personally captivated by the wood engraving, which inspired me to create my own version using our stunning Milky Way as a backdrop for the vivid colors of the meteor shower.
While not much is known about Vollmy, this image will continue to fascinate people for generations to come as one of the most remarkable celestial events in history.
My Take
Hope you enjoy my interpretation of this beautiful event. My ink dot illustration, 'The Sky is Falling,' pays homage to the timeless spectacle of Winton's meteor showers, a celestial dance forever preserved. (Each exploding star was created by the end of a very fine goose feather quill) Set against the vast night canvas of outback Queensland's Channel Country, the artwork captures a moment atop a Jump-up, where the convergence of nature's marvels is unrivaled. Thousands of stars descend like luminous rain, each dot a testament to the brilliance of our universe, while the distant Milky Way hums its cosmic lullaby.
This piece immortalises not only the meteor showers but also the significance of Australia's first International Dark-Sky Sanctuary located at Winton's The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. Amidst the plains and mesas, this haven beckons global voyagers to take-in the untamed beauty of our region.
The Star Gallery, a window to the world's most profound darkness, becomes a sanctuary for dreams, cosmic contemplation, and our connection to the cosmos. 'The Sky is Falling' invites us to be both witnesses and participants in this symphony of light and wonder.
Size A2 42cm x 59.4cm
Portrait
Cotton rag paper 310gsm
Archival ink