Sheet of Sketches 1829

Auguste Raffet created this sketch sheet with graphite and black ink wash sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The juxtaposition of imagery and themes suggests a subtle but complex commentary on contemporary French society. Raffet’s sketches include what appears to be scenes from military life alongside images of women and children. We see here the representation of various social classes in France, including a fashionably dressed woman and three men who appear to be of lower social standing. The inclusion of the military could refer to the Napoleonic campaigns and the artist’s self-identification as a Bonapartist. Studying French history from this period might help us to understand Raffet’s work better. TheJuly Revolution of 1830, for example, brought an end to the Bourbon Restoration and established a constitutional monarchy under Louis-Philippe. Through historical analysis, we can interpret the political context of Raffet's images, and their place in the critical artistic culture of the time.