De poelierster (The Poulterer) - Louis Bernard Coclers

A detailed etching by Louis Bernard Coclers depicting a poulterer at work in a market stall, rendered with fine cross-hatching and traditional Dutch genre sensibilities.

Louis Bernard Coclers, a Dutch painter and engraver, produced this etching, titled De poelierster, which translates to The Poulterer. The work captures a domestic scene within a shop or market stall, framed by a stone archway. A young woman, dressed in traditional attire, stands behind a counter, attending to a basket. To her side, a dead hare hangs from the wall, a common motif in Dutch genre scenes that references the trade of poultry and game. In the foreground, an older figure is partially obscured, leaning over the counter, while another individual appears in the background, suggesting a busy, everyday environment.

Coclers employs a precise, linear technique typical of eighteenth-century printmaking. The cross-hatching creates depth within the stone arch and the shadowed interior of the shop, while the lighter lines define the figures and the textures of their clothing. The composition relies on the contrast between the illuminated figures and the darker, recessed space of the shop interior. This print reflects the interest in everyday life and trade that persisted in Dutch art long after the seventeenth century. The attention to detail, from the woven texture of the baskets to the subtle folds in the woman's cap, demonstrates the technical skill Coclers applied to his graphic work. This piece offers a glimpse into the social and economic activities of the period, presented with a focus on narrative clarity and observational accuracy.