It Is Forbidden to Smoke... 1834

Editor: This is Auguste Raffet's "It Is Forbidden to Smoke…," date unknown. The detailed print shows a troop wading through a swamp. What’s striking is the contrast between the rigid military order and the chaotic, almost unruly nature of the landscape. What historical context informs this imagery? Curator: Raffet was working in a period that saw a rise in popular nationalism and military romanticism. Prints like this served a public function, glorifying military life, albeit perhaps with a touch of ironic humor given the title. How do you think it played into the politics of imagery at the time? Editor: I hadn't thought about it in those terms! It’s interesting to consider how even seemingly simple scenes could be deployed to shape public opinion around the military. Curator: Precisely. It makes you consider the power of art, even in a mass-produced form, to reinforce certain societal values and narratives.