[Anonymous].

Petit noir et petit blanc.

Épinal, Pellerin, [1877].

Coloured woodcut on paper, (41 x 27 cm).

First edition catchpenny print from the prolific French Pellerin printing factory in Épinal telling the popular story of Petit noir et petit blanc, a colonial narrative about Anatole, the son of a white plantation owner, and Joachim, a man of colour who was raised alongside him as a foster brother. Though socially unequal, their childhood bond suggests a personal intimacy that contrasts with the racial and hierarchical norms of their environment. Through a series of adventures — likely structured to test their loyalty and difference — Anatole eventually overcomes his ingrained racial prejudices, culminating in a dramatic declaration: “From now on, you will be my equal and my brother.”

At face value, the story promotes racial reconciliation, yet it does so within a deeply paternalistic and colonial framework. Equality is not fought for or mutually established — it is granted by the white protagonist as a moral triumph. The story centres the white character’s moral journey, portraying racial equality as a gift he bestows, while silencing the Black character’s own voice and agency.

Such narratives were common in 19th-century French colonial literature, where stories of interracial friendship or harmony masked the ongoing realities of exploitation, segregation, and systemic racism. They served to soften the image of colonialism, offering moral redemption while leaving the structures of inequality fundamentally unchallenged.

Based on this design, the Pellerin printing factory later produced a lithograph, also numbered Pellerin n° 857 (between 1889 and 1921) and Imagerie Pellerin n° 857 (after 1921).

Condition: slightly toned, small tear in top blank margin, otherwise in very good condition.

Reference: not in Epinal, Musée de l’Image (!); cf. 2010.5.4765 B.