Broom Peddler 1737

This print of a broom peddler was created by Anne Claude Philippe Caylus using etching, a process involving acid to cut lines into a metal plate, sometime before 1765. The stark, linear quality of the print emphasizes the humble materials depicted: bundles of twigs and woven baskets. Consider how the tools and trade of this woman have been carefully rendered, as well as the texture of her clothing and the weariness of her face. The print mediates between the labor of the peddler, and the consumption of images by buyers. Note how the title "Balais, balais" or "Brooms, brooms" underlines the hawking cries of the woman, further emphasizing the commercial aspect of her hard labor. Caylus was an aristocrat who took a keen interest in the lives of working people. This print invites reflection on the social and economic realities of 18th-century France, reminding us of the human effort behind even the most ordinary objects. Appreciating the labor embedded in both the making of brooms and the making of this print allows us to move beyond conventional distinctions between fine art and craft.