Kleine tamboer proost met een oude soldaat 1834

This lithograph was made by Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Charlet was a master of this printmaking technique, which involves drawing on a flat stone surface with a greasy crayon, then treating the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. It's a democratic medium, well-suited to the mass production of images. The result here is a remarkably detailed scene, capturing a poignant moment between an old soldier and a young drummer boy, surrounded by onlookers. The lithographic process, with its capacity for nuanced shading and crisp lines, allows Charlet to depict the textures of clothing, the weathered faces of the soldiers, and the rough surfaces of the outdoor setting. But it also speaks to the broader social context of the time, when printmaking was becoming increasingly important for disseminating ideas and images to a wide audience. By focusing on the material and the making of this print, we can see how Charlet used a relatively new technology to create a powerful and affecting image of military life, blurring the lines between fine art and popular culture.