Straat waarin een muur afgebroken wordt 1773 - 1843

Georges Michel made this pencil drawing, ‘Straat waarin een muur afgebroken wordt,’ with delicate, almost hesitant marks. Michel was working in a period of intense urbanization, and this drawing gives us a glimpse into the making of a city. The very act of demolition – the hard labor involved in tearing down a wall – is front and center. Notice how Michel renders the rubble with care, and how the human figures are almost ghostly. Pencil, of course, is a humble material, quite unlike the monumental stones that would have made up the wall itself. In this context, it feels like Michel is emphasizing the sheer amount of work required to make a city – and perhaps also the cost of progress. This reminds us that even the most unassuming drawing can carry significant social weight.