The Outskirts

Jean-François Raffaëlli French
Publisher Boussod, Valadon & Cie

Not on view

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.

The Outskirts, Jean-François Raffaëlli (French, Paris 1850–1924 Paris), Color etching; second state of two

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