Songs of Experience: The Chimney Sweeper 1794 - 1825

"The Chimney Sweeper" is a hand-colored relief etching from William Blake's "Songs of Experience", created between 1794 and 1825. This illustration depicts a young chimney sweep in a desolate landscape, caught in a downpour. The child's sorrowful expression and the poem's poignant text expose the harsh realities of child labor during the Industrial Revolution. Blake's vivid imagery and emotional intensity make this a powerful commentary on social injustice and the plight of the working class. The work, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is a striking example of Blake's distinctive style of combining visual art with poetry.