Battery No.1 opens fire, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome 1854

Auguste Raffet created this lithograph, "Battery No.1 opens fire, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome," using ink on paper. The immediate visual experience is dominated by a stark horizontal composition, where a line of soldiers and cannons is sharply bisected by a low fortification wall. This division creates a sense of depth, drawing the eye from the detailed foreground towards a distant, softly rendered landscape. The monochromatic palette emphasizes tonal variations, which are structured to highlight the textures of the soldiers' uniforms and the rough, tactile quality of the earthworks. Raffet's use of linear perspective is notable; the lines of the cannons and the wall converge, reinforcing a vanishing point that suggests the relentless direction of military action. In the context of 19th-century military art, this print destabilizes heroic portrayals of war. Instead, it presents a scene of ordered violence, meticulously organized along geometric lines, reflecting broader philosophical concerns about the rationalization and mechanization of conflict. The artwork stands not as a celebration, but a structured observation of military engagement.