Franse soldaten aan de rand van Constantine, 13 oktober 1837 1838

Auguste Raffet created this lithograph titled ‘French Soldiers at the Edge of Constantine, 13 October 1837’ using pen and black ink. The immediate impression is one of dynamic movement and detailed texture. Note how Raffet masterfully uses line and shading to create a sense of depth. The composition divides into a foreground of soldiers and obstacles, and a background featuring the city of Constantine and more figures. The artist uses dense, cross-hatched lines to construct the soldiers and the war detritus, contrasting with the softer, more atmospheric treatment of the city. The scene is dominated by the rising ground that directs our eye to the mass of people, and the formal arrangement echoes themes of military conquest and the exertion of power. The lithograph invites questions about how war is represented through art. It shows both the chaos and the orchestrated elements of military action. Raffet is using the interplay between light and shadow to explore the shifting and unstable meanings of conflict and victory.