War
1894
Medium
Lithograph in black on orange wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.1 × 32.6 cm (8 3/4 × 12 7/8 in.); Sheet: 25.7 × 38.4 cm (10 1/8 × 15 1/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
55796
Art Historical Context
Henri Rousseau’s 1894 lithograph “War” presents a stark and immediate image through its bold choice of medium. Printed in black ink on bright orange wove paper, the work measures just over 8 by 12 inches, giving it an intimate scale that draws viewers close to confront its subject. The sharp contrast between the inky lines and the warm orange ground heightens the dramatic tension implied by the title. As a lithograph, the piece reflects the late-nineteenth-century interest in printmaking as a means of reaching wider audiences while preserving expressive detail. Rousseau’s use of this accessib...