Reverse copy of Chaudronier Chaudronier (Boilermaker Boilermaker), from Le Cris de Paris (The Cries of Paris), plate 2 1721 - 1774

Simon Francis Ravenet the elder created this print, “Reverse copy of Chaudronier Chaudronier (Boilermaker Boilermaker), from Le Cris de Paris (The Cries of Paris), plate 2”, using etching. Here, we see a boilermaker, his back burdened with pots, about to engage a customer. These ‘cries of Paris’ prints were popular during the 18th century, offering a glimpse into the lives of the working class. They give us a sense of the sounds and faces that filled the streets of Paris. There is an element of romanticism present in these works. It's a glimpse into another world for the bourgeois, consumed from a safe distance. But it also serves as a historical record, one that reflects how society valued labor and commerce. The print captures a fleeting moment, a transaction about to occur, it invites us to consider the humanity present in everyday exchange.