Vive Raemaekers 1916

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this lithograph, "Vive Raemaekers!" in Paris in 1916. You can imagine the artist furiously drawing, the chalk or crayon dragging across the surface of the lithographic stone. The image comes alive through the urgent energy of the marks. I feel like I’m standing amongst the crowd depicted here. Everyone’s face is upturned, mouths open in a collective shout. What are they yelling? What are they feeling? Is it joy, anger, or some tangled mix of both? I get a sense of solidarity, of people banding together. Maybe Steinlen was thinking about the power of images and the role of the artist. The lithographic crayon allows for a range of tones, from the softest grays to nearly solid blacks. There’s a beautiful looseness to the drawing. It’s not overly fussy or detailed, but has a raw, immediate quality. Artists build on each other's work, and in turn, inspire new generations. It's like one big, messy, beautiful conversation.