The Chimney Sweeps
Charles Nègre
French, 1820–1880
1852
A collotype print in which Charles Nègre quietly captures three chimney sweeps walking along a riverside, using photography to record working‑class life and the effects of light and motion.
The image strikes you with its soft, velvety tones: a blurred, luminous cityscape behind a rough stone parapet and the dark, slightly blurred silhouettes of the men in mid‑stride, conveying both weight and movement.
Made in 1852, this work demonstrates early photographers treating collotype as an expressive medium to render mood and everyday urban subjects, helping to pave the way for documentary and street photography.
Medium
Collotype
Dimensions
5 7/8 × 7 1/2" (15 × 19.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of André Jammes
Accession
481.1964
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
