Presentation To His Majesty The King Of The Very High Distinction Entrusted To Him By The President Of The French Republic 1901

Achille Beltrame made this image of a presentation to the King with printing inks. The way the figures are placed feels like a stage set. The palette is quite limited, focusing on reds, blacks, and golds to convey the formality of the occasion, but it’s the details of the uniforms and the medals that really catch the eye. Looking closely, you can see the ink is applied in small strokes, almost like watercolor washes, which gives the image a slightly ethereal quality, despite the rigid subject matter. It’s as if Beltrame is inviting us to witness a fleeting moment in history. The folds in the heavy red curtain, rendered in simple gradations of color, contrast with the complex ornamentation on the uniforms, with all the medals. There’s something very satisfying about the way the composition leads your eye. I see a bit of Daumier in Beltrame's commitment to the political events of his time, although Daumier maybe has a bit more bite. Both are evidence of art as an ongoing commentary, where each artist interprets and reinterprets the world around them.