Plate Two from Misery
1851
Medium
Lithograph in black on cream China paper, laid down on ivory wove paper (chine collé)
Dimensions
Image: 24 × 17.2 cm (9 1/2 × 6 13/16 in.); Primary support: 27.4 × 19.5 cm (10 13/16 × 7 11/16 in.); Secondary support: 43.2 × 29.5 cm (17 1/16 × 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
207048
Art Historical Context
Charles Rambert’s “Plate Two from Misery,” created in 1851, offers a glimpse into the power of printmaking to address social themes during a turbulent era in European history. As part of a series exploring hardship and human struggle, the lithograph uses stark contrasts and expressive line work to evoke the emotional weight of its subject. Produced just after the revolutions of 1848, such works often served as accessible commentaries on poverty and resilience for a growing middle-class audience. The choice of medium—a lithograph printed in black on cream China paper using the chine collé tech...