Baker!, plate 27 - Simon Guillain

A seventeenth-century etching by Simon Guillain depicting a Parisian baker carrying his wares, taken from a series on street trades.

This etching by Simon Guillain, titled Baker!, originates from a series documenting the street vendors and common tradespeople of seventeenth-century Paris. The work depicts a male figure seen from behind, carrying a large, flat tray of baked goods upon his head and shoulders. The composition focuses on the physical exertion of the labourer, with the artist using precise cross-hatching to define the musculature of the legs and the folds of the simple tunic.

Guillain, primarily known as a sculptor, demonstrates a keen eye for the observational detail required in printmaking. The background provides a sparse architectural setting, suggesting a city square or street, which helps to ground the figure within his urban environment. The perspective is straightforward, allowing the viewer to examine the texture of the bread and the posture of the baker without distraction. The line work is clean and deliberate, characteristic of the period's approach to documenting social strata through the depiction of daily life.

This print belongs to a broader collection of works that captured the varied characters of the French capital. By focusing on the mundane activities of a baker, Guillain provides a record of the tools, attire, and physical presence of the working class during the mid-seventeenth century. The plate number 27 is visible in the lower corner, indicating its place within the larger series. The work avoids idealisation, opting instead for a direct representation of the subject. It remains a useful historical document for those interested in the social history of Paris and the development of printmaking techniques in the Baroque era.