Straatveger 1769 - 1838

Carlo Lasinio created this print, Straatveger, around the late 18th to early 19th century. The composition is structured around the stark contrast between the dark, active figure of the street sweeper and the light, static form of the donkey. Lasinio uses line and shadow to create depth, drawing our eye from the foreground of the sweeper to the background of the architecture. The cobblestones underfoot are intricately detailed, juxtaposed with the smoother, simpler lines defining the buildings, which flattens the perspective. This tension invites us to question established modes of perception and representation. The sweeper, with his broom and weary posture, signifies labor and the everyday. The donkey, burdened with baskets, reinforces this theme of toil, while the architectural backdrop hints at a broader cultural context. The print destabilizes the traditional hierarchy of art by elevating the mundane to a subject worthy of artistic attention.