Combs for linen and sieves, plate 25 - Simon Guillain

A 1646 etching by Simon Guillain depicting a Parisian street vendor carrying linen combs and sieves, captured with precise, clean lines.

This etching by Simon Guillain, dated 1646, belongs to a series documenting the street vendors and tradespeople of seventeenth-century Paris. The figure depicted is a travelling merchant, burdened with the tools of his trade. He carries large sieves strapped to his back, while his left hand holds a wooden board fitted with combs for processing linen. The composition is straightforward, focusing on the physical reality of the labourer rather than an idealised portrait.

Guillain employs a precise, clean line to define the textures of the man's clothing and the wooden construction of his wares. The cross-hatching on the sieves and the man's hose provides a sense of volume and weight, grounding the figure in a simple, sparse environment. The background is minimal, suggesting a distant urban outline without distracting from the primary subject.

This work provides a glimpse into the social history of the period, capturing the everyday commerce that sustained the city. The merchant's expression is weary but focused, reflecting the demands of his itinerant profession. As a record of historical trades, the print offers a direct observation of the tools and attire common to the era. The clarity of the etching technique allows for a detailed examination of the mechanical design of the sieves and combs, which were essential implements for domestic textile production. Guillain's approach is objective, presenting the vendor as a functional element of the urban economy. The print remains a valuable document for those interested in the history of labour and the visual culture of seventeenth-century France.