Croisés en Campagne 

Editor: This is "Croisés en Campagne," a print –an engraving, it looks like– by Auguste Raffet. It feels like a historical record, or a dramatic scene from a storybook. The crowd scene makes it chaotic and energized. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What immediately strikes me is how Raffet situates this Crusader scene. We aren't presented with valor or triumph. Instead, the work pulses with the uncomfortable truth of colonial campaigns framed as religious acts. The seemingly endless repetition of figures, rendered with that stark, linear quality, evokes the dehumanizing aspects of warfare. How does the work engage with Orientalism, with how the West represents the East? Editor: Orientalism? I guess I didn’t think of it that way. Curator: Look at the depiction of the landscape. Are there stereotypical images of the ‘Orient’ at play? How might this idealized and generalized ‘East’ mask the realities and lived experiences of those who were impacted by the Crusades? I encourage you to see it as a depiction of power, religious zealotry, and cultural clashes. Think about the lasting legacy of such conflicts. Editor: That reframing really shifts my understanding. It is not just an image of knights on a journey, but a reminder of how religious narratives were often used to justify aggressive expansion. Curator: Exactly. Reflect on the perspectives that are often left out of traditional historical narratives. What stories remain untold when we only focus on the battlefield glory? Editor: This conversation has pushed me to consider art’s responsibility in challenging dominant historical narratives. I'll definitely look at Raffet's work and other historical pieces with a more critical and questioning eye from now on. Curator: That's the goal. Always interrogate the context, the power dynamics at play, and the voices that might be missing.