Priere Marmitale 1894

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created this print, "Priere Marmitale", using lithography. Its title can be translated from French as "Pot Prayer". The woman in the image stands in the street at night. Her clasped hands rest on what appears to be a folding chair. Two lit street lamps stand like witnesses on either side of her, while the background is undifferentiated and without perspective. Steinlen produced this image during the Belle Époque in France. At this time, a wide gap existed between the rich and the poor. While new technologies and cultural attitudes were emerging, so too was a widespread awareness of the plight of the poor. Steinlen was a socialist artist committed to social justice, and his prints often depicted the lives of ordinary people, particularly those living in Montmartre. The title of the print suggests that the woman is praying, not in a church or at home, but in the street. What is she praying for? Perhaps she is praying for a pot to cook in, or for something to put in it? Historical sources can help us understand the social context in which this image was made. It is through this kind of research that we can better understand the social role of art.