Saint Peter!, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome 1851

Editor: This is Auguste Raffet's lithograph "Saint Peter!, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome," created in 1851. The scene depicts a cluster of soldiers overlooking a landscape. It’s stark and a little haunting; the high contrast of the print makes the scene feel really intense. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: Oh, Raffet... he understood the poetry of the march, the loneliness and brotherhood intertwined. What strikes me is how he uses landscape not just as backdrop, but as a stage. Those figures, huddled together, become almost small in comparison to the vastness behind them, yet utterly dominant in our field of view. Almost dreamlike. Do you feel the weight of expectation there, the anticipation of a looming conflict beyond the horizon? Editor: I do. There’s a sense of uncertainty; the figures in the foreground seem to be pointing, planning, but we don’t see what they see. The distant skyline—that’s supposed to be Saint Peter’s Basilica, right? Curator: Indeed! That tiny dome represents centuries of history, a seat of immense power, all of which hangs in the balance. The lithograph isn't simply documenting an event. Rather it questions how conflict, history, and destiny are intertwined within a grand landscape of personal experience. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I think that hits home in a completely new way. Curator: What's your impression now, thinking about the weight of history these soldiers carry as they prepare to advance on such a monumental and symbolic location? What are your own reflections on that sense of historical narrative. Editor: Suddenly, those rigid lines and stark contrasts make a lot more sense! This really encapsulates that idea of individual humans up against something bigger than themselves. I appreciate how Raffet can tell us this important story using something as simple as paper and ink. Thank you!