Question

Why did Frédéric Sorrieu present an utopian vision in his prints in 1848? Explain one reason.

Answer 1

Utopian refers to a vision of society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to exist. A French artist in 1848 by name, Frederic Sorrieu prepared a series of four prints visualising his dream of a world made up of ‘democratic and social Republics’.
The first print shows the people of Europe and America, men and women of all ages and social classes, marching in a long train or line and offering homage to the Statue of Liberty as they pass by it. During the time of the French Revolution, Liberty was personified as a female figure. In the print, the torch of Enlightenment can be found in one hand, and the Charter of Rights of Man on the other hand.3
In Sorrieu’s utopian vision, the peoples of the world are grouped as distinct nations, identified through their flags and national costumes. Sorrieu created the image to unify the disintegrated states into a nation-state under a democratic constitution.