Le garde du commerce
1865
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1865
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see two people from the waist up in this lithograph. They look very different, one serious and old, the other not. The old man's serious face is next to a stone wall with words on it. The words "PRISON POUR DETTES" on the wall mean "prison for debt". This was a big issue in 19th-century France, where people could go to jail for not paying debts. This theme of commerce and social critique was important back then. You can learn more about this kind of art by looking into the technique: lithography.
