Identification of Prisoner n.d.

Charles Samuel Keene created "Identification of Prisoner", with pen and brown ink. The composition divides into two distinct groups of figures, differentiated by attire and implied social status. On the left, a cluster of figures stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Opposite them, to the right, a cluster of formally dressed figures, possibly officials, stand in formal attire. The artist's use of line is particularly striking. Note the economy of strokes, each mark efficiently conveying form and texture, creating a sense of depth and dimension despite the work's flatness. Linear hatching and cross-hatching suggest shadow and mass. The composition also reflects contemporary class divisions; the artist seems interested in the power dynamics inherent in the identification process. This is reflected in how the structural elements of the drawing invite interpretation, challenging fixed meanings about social hierarchy. The interplay of line and form, therefore, functions not merely as an aesthetic choice but as a commentary on legal and social structures.