Evacuees from Verdun, plate thirty from Actualités by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen

Evacuees from Verdun, plate thirty from Actualités

Possibly 1916

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, lithograph, print, paper, ink
Dimensions
245 × 380 (image without remarque); 302 × 394 mm (image with remarque); 379 × 566 (sheet)
Location
The Art Institute of Chicago
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

#portrait#drawing#ink drawing#narrative-art#lithograph#print#paper#ink#realism

About this artwork

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created this lithograph, "Evacuees from Verdun," as part of his "Actualités" series. Verdun was a strategic site during World War I, and this print captures the plight of women and children displaced by the conflict. The image shows huddled figures, their faces etched with worry, sitting in the foreground, while horse-drawn carts stretch into the distance, conveying the scale of the exodus. The women, possibly mothers and grandmothers, clutch children close, their bodies wrapped in heavy shawls, creating a scene of intimate protection amidst chaos. Steinlen's work often highlighted the impact of social and political events on everyday people, particularly women and the working class. The print evokes both the historical context of wartime displacement, and the timeless theme of maternal protection, offering a glimpse into the gendered experience of war, where women are frequently left to bear the burden of caregiving amidst instability. Steinlen captures a moment of profound vulnerability and resilience.

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