Reverse copy of Balais Balais (Brushes Brushes), plate 5 from "Le Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris)
Original title: Reverse copy of Balais Balais (Brushes Brushes), plate 5 from "Le Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris)
kurzbeschreibung
Etching and engraving are combined in this 18th-century print by Jacques Philippe Le Bas, a mirror-image copy of "Balais Balais" showing a broom seller with his cart. It belongs to the series "Le Cris de Paris", which recorded street traders and the cries they called out.
Description
A man in traditional dress and a cap pulls a two-wheeled cart loaded with several brooms; a dog stands alert beside him. A column and stretches of masonry can be made out behind the figures. The layout reads clearly, the man placed in front with the cart behind him. Shading comes from fine lines and strokes, and the light falls evenly across the sheet.
Context
Le Bas produced the "Le Cris de Paris" series in the 18th century, documenting Paris street life with its callers and hawkers. The sheets were conceived as a collected set and proved very popular. Making a mirror-image copy was common practice, whether to avoid plagiarism or to create a variant.
Impact
The detailed, realistic rendering carries the viewer into Paris street life. A clear arrangement and precise linework give the image a calm, matter-of-fact mood. Because the print is monochrome, attention settles on the figures and what they are doing.
Technique
The etching was further refined with engraving, a combination that allowed precise lines and delicate shading. The sheet was printed on paper and measures 27.5 x 18.9 cm; it has been trimmed.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)