Vlooienmarkt in een landschap 1882 - 1922

Auguste Brouet scratched this print of a flea market scene into being sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Just imagine him hunched over the metal plate, working with those tiny tools to create this whole world. It’s amazing how much Brouet suggests with so few lines. Look how he captures the figures, their postures, and their relationships to one another. I feel like I can feel the weight of that enormous sack being carried by the figure on the right. What was he thinking when he made this? Maybe he was thinking about Daumier or Guys? I get a similar feeling of observing everyday life. These artists are all in conversation, you know? Each one building on what came before, pushing the possibilities of the medium. In the end, Brouet's print celebrates the messy, unpredictable, and endlessly fascinating world we all share.