Groep soldaten trekt door een opening in de palissade, 1832

Auguste Raffet made this lithograph in 1832, depicting soldiers passing through a rough opening in a barricade. Lithography, unlike painting or sculpture, is a printmaking process, ideally suited to the mass production of images. Here, the stark black lines, made possible by the lithographic crayon and the flat surface of the printing stone, give a sense of the grit and harsh realities of military life. Consider the labor involved: not only the physical toil of the soldiers, but also Raffet’s work, drawing the image in reverse with a greasy crayon, before the application of acid, ink, and finally the press itself. The choice of lithography suggests that Raffet wanted his image to reach a wide audience, beyond the confines of a gallery or salon. It's a powerful reminder that art can be a tool for communication, persuasion, and even propaganda, reflecting the social and political currents of its time.