Sappers going to the trenches, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome 1854

Auguste Raffet created this lithograph, "Sappers going to the trenches, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome", as part of a series reflecting France’s military campaign in Italy. Raffet, who had a fascination with military life, captures here the march of French troops, their faces obscured by the demands of duty. This work provides insight into 19th-century military campaigns and the culture of the French army. These soldiers, who were largely working-class men, represent the human labor behind imperial expansion. Raffet romanticizes their long, weary march to the trenches, but also hints at the emotional weight of their service. The obscured faces and regimented lines suggest both their collective identity as soldiers and their loss of individual self in the face of war. "Sappers going to the trenches" invites us to reflect on the relationship between the personal sacrifices of soldiers and the larger political ambitions they serve. It reminds us of the human stories often hidden within grand narratives of military history.