Watching The Crowd 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created "Watching the Crowd" using crayons. The image's material influence is immediately apparent in the soft, textured surfaces and the subtle blending of colors. Steinlen's choice of crayon, a humble and accessible material, is significant. Unlike oil paints, which were associated with academic art, crayons were readily available and favored by illustrators and cartoonists, often used to document everyday life in the public sphere. The artist’s skilled handling of this medium elevates it, blurring the lines between fine art and popular illustration. The marks are unassuming, but the drawing shows a society steeped in consumerism. The crowd is strolling, looking at merchandise in the shop windows in the background, and the classes are mixed together in a way that would only be possible with the rise of capitalism. Steinlen's work reminds us that artistic value lies not only in the subject matter but also in the artist's engagement with their chosen materials.