Oude man pakt de hand van een Poolse soldaat 1834

Auguste Raffet made this print, Oude man pakt de hand van een Poolse soldaat, using lithography. It depicts an old man in civilian clothing shaking the hand of a Polish soldier in what looks like a domestic interior. Raffet was a French artist working in the first half of the 19th century, a period when Poland was struggling for independence. We can appreciate Raffet’s image as an example of 19th-century liberal European support for Polish national aspirations, when Poland was subject to the expansionist ambitions of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The figure of the old man, perhaps offering the soldier shelter, can be interpreted as a personification of civilian support for the military struggle. This image creates meaning through an economy of visual codes. It invites questions about France’s historical relationship with Poland and the role of art in generating sympathy for political causes. Understanding the history of 19th-century political liberalism and the history of Poland can shed light on its meaning.