Twee mannen helpen dronken vrouw, haar dronken man staat er achter 1836

Auguste Raffet made this lithograph depicting a social scene using a process that democratized image-making in its time. Lithography, unlike earlier printmaking methods, relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water, allowing artists to draw directly onto the stone matrix. Here, Raffet captured a moment of public drunkenness, rendered through the fine, greasy marks of the lithographic crayon. The tonal range achieved, from the deep shadows to the subtle gradations of light, speaks to Raffet's mastery of the medium, and its capacity to capture the nuances of human expression and social interaction. The method allowed for relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction, making images like this accessible to a broad audience, and reflecting on the social realities of 19th-century urban life. The image's narrative, etched in stone and multiplied through the press, invites us to consider the relationship between representation, social commentary, and the rapidly changing world of industrializing Europe.