Artillerie 1827 - 1894

M. Hemeleers-van Houter created this print, titled “Artillerie,” using a relief printing process. The imagery of this print is all about the military, and the artist’s choice of relief printing speaks volumes about the social context in which it was made. Here, the artist has cut away the negative space around each figure, leaving the lines of the design raised. Ink would have been applied to the surface and transferred to paper, creating the final image. This print-making technique allows for the efficient production of multiple copies. Such a method would have been useful for spreading information or propaganda in a time of political and social upheaval. The very act of carving the block, the labor involved, mirrors the work of the soldiers depicted. By understanding the material and process behind “Artillerie,” we recognize how closely intertwined art and craft can be with wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.