La rue Caulincourt 1896

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created this lithograph, La rue Caulincourt, with crayon and tusche on transfer paper. The print, made with a greasy crayon on paper, uses the qualities of the material to full effect. The crayon captures the textures of the street and the damp atmosphere. The artist expertly uses lithography to give the appearance of a charcoal drawing, rather than a fine art print. This technique, combined with the image's subject matter, gives a glimpse into the life of the working class in Paris. In this somber nocturnal scene, the artist depicts two figures struggling against the elements in an unforgiving environment. It makes you think of the labor involved in making a living, and the artist's work in representing their plight. Ultimately, it’s the artist’s choice of material and making that conveys a strong message, and it asks us to question the traditional hierarchy between art and craft.