In Class
1903
Félix Vallotton’s 'En classe' (In Class) is a biting piece of social satire disguised as a school scene. Instead of children learning their ABCs, we see a row of grown men—likely soldiers—kneeling in terror while uniformed officers crack long whips above their heads. The caption at the bottom, 'Bojé Tsara Krani' (a transliteration of 'God Save the Tsar'), clues us in that this is a critique of the brutal, authoritarian discipline of the Russian military or educational system under the Tsar. Vallotton uses stark black-and-white contrasts to make the cruelty pop, proving that sometimes the simplest lines tell the darkest stories.
- Technique
- Woodcut
Views: 3