Chap. XVI: La simpiternelle serait ma bisaïeule (This woman could be my great-grandmother) 1824

Victor Adam created this lithograph, "Chap. XVI: La simpiternelle serait ma bisaïeule," sometime in the 19th century. The composition immediately strikes you with its delicate yet pointed satire. The artist uses line and form to create a clear contrast between the young man and the older woman, a contrast that is as much about social commentary as it is about aesthetics. Observe how the sharp, vertical lines of the man's figure and top hat juxtapose against the rounded, voluminous shapes of the woman's dress and hat. This visual language critiques societal norms, highlighting the artificiality and constructed nature of gender and age roles. The texture achieved through lithography, with its subtle gradations, further emphasizes the superficiality of appearances, questioning the values placed on youth and beauty. The print challenges fixed notions by revealing the power dynamics inherent in social interactions. The artist uses formal elements not just for aesthetic appeal, but as a powerful means of dissecting and questioning the accepted norms of his time.