La Femme Libre 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this drawing called “La Femme Libre,” or “The Free Woman,” using crayon or charcoal at an unknown date. We see a woman at the forefront, mouth agape and eyes wide as she carries a flag or standard. This image comes from the Belle Époque in France, a time of optimism and progress before the First World War. But it was also a time when gender roles were strictly defined. The woman's active role here, leading a charge, challenges those norms. Steinlen was known for his socialist leanings and his depictions of working-class life. This image, though, critiques bourgeois society. The man cowering from the woman is dressed in formal attire. Is he afraid of the change she represents? Is he afraid of her political will? As historians, we can look at the visual culture of the period, political pamphlets, and newspaper illustrations, to fully understand the dynamics represented in Steinlen's drawing. By looking at the social context, we can start to understand the role of art in challenging the status quo.