Artwork
Album of 1831: Freedom or death!
Album of 1831: Freedom or death! is a print by the Romanticist artist Auguste Raffet. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Album of 1831: Freedom or death! is a black-and-white print created by Auguste Raffet in 1831. It depicts a chaotic street battle scene, conveying a sense of urgency and drama.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows men fighting with guns, amidst debris and overturned objects. A flag with unclear writing is visible in the background. The title 'À mort pour la liberté!' or 'Death to tyranny!' suggests the scene represents a struggle for freedom, reflecting the political upheavals of early 19th-century France.
Technique & Style
Raffet, trained under Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, employed lithography to create the print. The use of black and white emphasizes the intensity of the scene, while the composition conveys a sense of movement and chaos.
Context
The print is associated with the themes of revolutionary struggle and resistance, characteristic of Raffet's work, which often reflected the social and political changes of his time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Denis Auguste Marie Raffet (2 March 1804 – 16 February 1860) was a French illustrator and lithographer. He was a student of Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, and was a retrospective painter of the Empire.
