Schoorsteenveger steekt zijn pijp aan before 1909

This etching by Florimond Buyck depicts a chimney sweep lighting his pipe with such incredible mark making! The use of line is almost like a kind of mapping, and it really shows you the process of how this print came together. The texture is phenomenal, look at the way the blacks and whites of the ink create a kind of grimy, gritty feel on the surface. See how the light catches the figure from behind, casting deep shadows that give the scene a sombre, almost brooding quality? Then look closely at his hands, they are delicately rendered, but also rough and worn. There is something beautiful in the way Buyck has captured the dignity of this working man in a moment of quiet contemplation. The density reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, in the way it portrays the everyday struggles of working-class people. Like her, Buyck reminds us that art isn’t just about pretty pictures; it’s about empathy and understanding.