Sur Le Tas 1893

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this lithograph called 'Sur Le Tas'. Using lithography is a commercial printing process that democratized artmaking. It allowed the artist to make multiples, and reach a wider audience, especially with political messages. The rough texture we see wasn’t laboriously carved, as in traditional printmaking. Instead, it came from grease applied to the lithographic stone, which only accepted ink in certain areas. Steinlen was not only interested in the aesthetic qualities of lithography, but also in its social function. This work reminds us that art doesn’t just passively reflect the world around us, but actively engages with it, and with the lives of everyday people. It blurs the boundaries between high art and the realities of working-class life, and the labor involved in production. By understanding the techniques and cultural context in which ‘Sur Le Tas’ was made, we get a fuller sense of its meaning.