Vers la victoire - La Marseillaise Circa 1915

This original circa 1915 engraving by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen is entitled Vers la Victoire – La Marseillaise, translated as “Towards Victory – La Marseillaise”. Created during the First World War, the work presents a patriotic vision of French soldiers advancing beneath the symbolic protection of the nation.

A dense column of troops marches through a city street lined with buildings, flags and spectators. Above them appears a monumental winged female figure, an allegorical embodiment of La Marseillaise, raising one arm as though guiding the soldiers forward towards victory.

Steinlen builds the composition through energetic linework, delicate shading and areas of dense cross-hatching. The dark, tightly packed procession below contrasts with the luminous, almost ethereal figure overhead, creating a dramatic transition between observed reality and patriotic symbolism.

Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen was a Swiss-born French artist, illustrator and printmaker closely associated with Montmartre. Celebrated for his posters and socially engaged depictions of everyday life, he also produced numerous works during the First World War portraying soldiers, refugees and the experiences of the civilian population.

A powerful and historically evocative example of French wartime printmaking, this original engraving would make an important addition to a collection devoted to Steinlen, the First World War, French history or early twentieth-century works on paper.

Engraving

War - 1914-1918

Face of Marianne in the lower right corner

Good condition, soiled