Attack the Enemy Boldly, with the Bayonet 1835

Editor: This is Auguste Raffet's "Attack the Enemy Boldly, with the Bayonet," a print from the 19th century. The frenetic energy makes me think about the labor involved in war. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice the printmaking process, the multiple stages needed to create such an image, suggesting a mass consumption of war imagery. How does Raffet’s depiction of the soldiers relate to the social and political climate of the time? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, it's more than just the image, it's the entire process. Thanks! Curator: Exactly. It shifts our focus from the glory of battle to the means of production and consumption tied to it.