Mariah Tomb, Bachtcheh-Seraï, Crimea, August 21, 1837 1838

Auguste Raffet captured this lithograph, "Mariah Tomb, Bachtcheh-Seraï, Crimea, August 21, 1837," with a somber tonal quality. The composition, primarily in monochrome, evokes a feeling of desolation through its architectural depiction and stark contrast. Raffet masterfully uses the lithographic medium to play with light and shadow, enhancing the structure's decay. The tomb, set against a backdrop of rolling hills, becomes a focal point of ruin. The strategic placement of human and animal figures in the foreground emphasizes the scale of the tomb, thereby intensifying its monumental yet dilapidated presence. The crumbling façade and open arches invite a semiotic reading of time and abandonment, questioning notions of permanence and power. The precise rendering of the stone texture suggests a concern with materiality, challenging the viewer to consider the tangible reality of decay.