Twee soldaten met geweer waarvan er een vuurt 1851

Auguste Raffet created this print, "Two Soldiers with Rifles, One Firing," sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Raffet lived through a time of revolution and empire, and was known for his lithographs depicting military life and campaigns, often focusing on the common soldier's experience. In this work, we see two soldiers in a hazy landscape, one taking aim with his rifle. It's a scene of action, but also one shrouded in ambiguity; we can't clearly identify who they are fighting, or what they are fighting for. The print invites us to consider the role of the individual within the larger machinery of war. How does the experience of the ordinary soldier intersect with grand narratives of nationhood and conflict? Raffet challenges us to confront the human cost of military action, and the emotional realities of those who lived through it. It speaks to the enduring tension between individual agency and collective violence.