French artist, Honore Daumier's "The Fugitives" depicts the plight of many during war.

See how the white horse, contrasting with its dark background, pulls our attention to the onward movement of the fugitives.

This later print by Daumier dramatizes the power of the press. -- literally.

The lines and edges direct the viewer's attention to the head being squeezed in the press.

In this print, Daumier shows the tragic consequences of war.

German artist, Kathe Kollwitz, depicts the plight of workers in an industrial age.

Similarly to Daumier one hundred years earlier, the forward movement of the group is reinforced by the somewhat darker female and male figures in the right that contrast with the grayer background figures.

In this somber print, Kollwitz shows her concern for women in prison.

The  door and opening framing the woman and child. Their central location in the image also draw the viewer's attention.

This 1903 image of a working woman stands in contrast to more light hearted, romantic depictions of women by Kollwitz's contemporaries, for example Impressionists like Monet and Renoir.

The highlights on the right side of the woman's face draw the viewer's attention to the woman's downward glance.

Another German artist, Otto Dix, used his work to show the horrors of World War I.

The dramatic contrast of the black eye pieces against the much lighter gas masks give this print strong focal points.

Tragic death is again Dix's subject in this print.

The focal point of the print is the black eye socket in the lighter skull.

In this print, Dix shows the bombing of a civilian target.

The lines direct the viewer's eye to the center of the image and then back to the faces in the lower corners of the print.

In this photograph, David Parker ducuments the ever-present power of the poster.

Photographers have a long traditon of using their cameras to show viewers the confrontations of contemporary life.