The Outskirts

Boussod, Valadon & Cie|Jean-François Raffaëlli

1893/1894 · Color etching; second state of two · Drawings and Prints

This etching is the first in a series of six entitled "Types de Petites Gens" (Types of the Lower Class). It reprises a composition originally reproduced in the serial publication "Les Types de Paris" (1889), illustrating a chapter on ragpickers (Les Chiffoniers). Raffaëlli became familiar with these inhabitants of the city outskirts when he moved to the Parisian suburb of Asnières and they became a primary motif in his work as symbols of poverty and alienation in modern society. In this print, the etched lines suggest the rocky texture of the desolate terrain and the muted color palette resonates with the bleak subject matter.

Artist

Boussod, Valadon & Cie|Jean-François Raffaëlli

Date

1893/1894

Medium

Color etching; second state of two

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924