De kleine schoorsteenveger 1876 - 1890

Michelet created this print, titled 'De kleine schoorsteenveger', with an array of scenes depicted using lithography. The composition is dense, with numerous vignettes arranged in a grid-like fashion, each telling a small part of the story of a young chimney sweep and his interactions with the upper class. A muted color palette gives the print a vintage feel, with outlines defining each character and setting. The artwork's structure invites us to deconstruct the social dynamics at play. The recurring motif is the chimney sweep, whose black silhouette sharply contrasts against the brightly dressed aristocracy, creating a stark visual binary. This opposition raises questions about social hierarchy and visibility; while the upper class preens and parades, the chimney sweep exists as a shadow, essential yet unacknowledged. Each vignette operates as a sign within a larger semiotic system, where clothing, gestures, and settings convey codes of status and power. Note how the formal arrangement of these scenes—the clustering and juxtaposition—challenges fixed social meanings, inviting us to reinterpret these historical power structures.