For the Daughters of Soldiers Killed on the Field of Honor, plate thirteen from Actualités 1915

Editor: This is "For the Daughters of Soldiers Killed on the Field of Honor," a 1915 lithograph by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. The sheer number of figures crammed onto the paper is striking and emotionally overwhelming. What symbols or deeper meanings do you see within this piece? Curator: Indeed, the density speaks volumes. Notice how Steinlen uses the archetype of the Madonna – the central woman draped in dark cloth. What does this visual reference evoke for you, especially considering the context of World War I? Editor: I see a parallel between the suffering of mothers who lost sons in war, and the archetypal pain of the Virgin Mary. The children huddling around her amplify the sense of vulnerability and loss. Curator: Precisely. The clustered faces behind the Madonna figure represent a collective grief, almost a chorus. Observe how their expressions seem to blend, individual sorrows merging into shared mourning. Do you see any other symbolic relationships between the foreground and the background figures? Editor: The background figures appear more ghost-like and blurred as if suggesting the numerous other mothers affected by the war. Their gaze looking downward emphasizes the feeling of despair in the work. Curator: Yes. In addition, this representation could imply the multitude of souls who were killed in action during the war and are no longer living. What could be Steinlen’s intention in referencing religion? Editor: To present the community’s loss as a sacred, deeply felt wound, I guess. Thanks, I am leaving with so much more insight now. Curator: The beauty of symbols is how they let artists build lasting monuments of our human feelings; I leave richer from this chat, too.