Kleine straatveger en vechtende jongens before 1847

This print, dating to the first half of the 19th century, was made by the French artist Nicolas Toussaint Charlet using etching, a printmaking technique with a long and fascinating history. To create the image, the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched an image into this coating. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the metal where it was exposed. The plate is then inked and pressed onto paper. You can appreciate the fineness of the lines achieved through this technique, as well as the gradations of tone. Consider how the choice of etching informs the picture’s social commentary. The print depicts a street sweeper, along with fighting children, and seems to capture a fleeting moment in the life of the Parisian working class. Making this a print – a multiple – democratizes its impact. It is no longer a precious painting, but an image circulated to make a point. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we can better understand the complex relationship between art and society.