De Seine bij het Ile 1773 - 1843

Georges Michel created this pencil drawing of the Seine near Ile, capturing a specific locale in Paris. Born in 1763, his artistic perspective was naturally shaped by the societal structures and the seeds of revolutionary change that defined late 18th-century France. Michel's sketch invites us to consider not just the visual scene, but the socio-economic currents flowing through the city. Who were the figures along the riverbanks, and what were their lives like in a city on the cusp of transformation? The river itself was a site of labor and transport, and the figures a cross-section of Parisian life. While the artwork might appear to be a straightforward landscape, it quietly embodies a complex interplay of power, labor, and social identity. It encourages us to contemplate the ordinary lives that history often overlooks, and to find the echoes of their stories within this cityscape.