A Piece of Newspaper c. 19th century

Henri-Charles Guérard made this print, "A Piece of Newspaper," using etching and aquatint. The work seems simple enough, but it engages with complex ideas about the role of art in late 19th-century France. Guérard has arranged ephemeral scraps of paper on the picture plane, and in so doing, he asks us to consider what is worthy of depiction. We see a flyer for a cabaret, a guest list, an advertisement for a newspaper, and a postage stamp. In selecting these specific items, Guérard seems to be commenting on the rise of consumer culture and the importance of the press, and we might even say it has a proto-pop art quality. To understand this work better, we might turn to sources on the history of printmaking, the development of advertising, and the growth of Parisian nightlife. Only by understanding the social and institutional context can we begin to grasp the significance of this image.