1832
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ascension du Constitutionnel is a 1832 ink by French 19th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a chaotic scene with a man in fancy clothes being dragged upward by two winged figures. He’s holding a tall, heavy book and looks surprised. Below him, a smaller figure clings to his leg, while another person on the left points a stick at him. The sky is dark, and the ground has a city skyline in the distance. The title at the bottom hints this is a political joke—it’s mocking someone or something called *Constitutionnel*. The artist used sharp lines and dramatic poses to make it look urgent and funny. If you like this style, check out lithography to see how artists made prints like this.
This sculptor liked to keep sharp tools in the studio and blunt ones in his pocket—his niece recalled finding him absentmindedly whittling a stick while talking philosophy.
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