La Rafle 1893

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this print, called “La Rafle,” using lithography and color, probably sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It depicts a scene of women being loaded into a police van, while other women watch with concern. Steinlen was a Swiss-born French artist who often depicted the lives of the working class in Paris. This image engages with the French Republic's fraught relationship with marginalized communities and the policing of sex work. The term "rafle" suggests a roundup or mass arrest, alluding to the arbitrary nature of power that was so often directed at the poor. The presence of a stern-looking officer and the somber expressions of the onlookers further underscore the anxiety and injustice of the situation. To understand this print more deeply, one might research the history of policing in Paris, the laws surrounding prostitution, and the social attitudes toward women during that time. By examining such historical resources, we can gain a richer understanding of the print’s social commentary.