Circle Round! Gently Little One, I'm More than Fifteen Years Old 1832

Auguste Raffet made this print using etching, a printmaking technique that allows for detailed line work. Raffet was working in France during a time of great social upheaval and political change. This lively scene depicts people dancing in a circle, a traditional folk custom. It seems a celebration of community spirit and popular culture outside of official institutions. Yet, the composition directs our attention to class divisions. Some figures are formally dressed while others look like peasants in working clothes. Is Raffet idealizing the French peasantry or commenting on social stratification? To understand this image, we might research the rise of folklorism in 19th-century France, a cultural movement that collected and celebrated rural traditions. We can also analyze the role of printmaking in disseminating images to a wide audience. Art history provides these tools to interpret images like this, revealing how artworks reflect and shape social realities.