Grenadiers de la vieille garde impériale / Garde départementale 1827 - 1894

M. Hemeleers-van Houter created this print, Grenadiers de la vieille garde impériale / Garde départementale, date unknown, using an etching technique, then delicately hand-coloring each figure. Looking closely, you can see the fine lines incised into the paper that define the soldiers’ uniforms. The etching process, combined with hand-coloring, suggests a tension between mass production and individual craftsmanship. Though etching allowed for multiple prints, each was made unique by the hand-applied color, bringing a sense of life to each figure, and connecting with a tradition of manuscript illumination. The rows of uniformed soldiers, almost like toy soldiers, represent a professional army. Every element of their dress, down to the placement of buttons, indicates the social order and the role of the soldier in the performance of the state. Examining this print through the lens of materials and making invites us to consider the economic and social contexts in which it was produced, challenging any division between art, craft, and the making of military power.