Fisherman, plate 67 - Simon Guillain

A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Simon Guillain depicting a fisherman, based on the observations of Annibale Carracci.

This etching by Simon Guillain is part of a series documenting the street life and trades of seventeenth-century Rome. The work is based on drawings by Annibale Carracci, whose 'Le Arti di Bologna' series provided the inspiration for many artists of the period to document the common worker. Guillain, a French sculptor and printmaker, captures the figure of a fisherman in profile, walking with a large net slung over his shoulder. The composition is stark and functional, focusing on the physical reality of the labourer rather than an idealised representation.

Guillain employs a precise, rhythmic hatching technique to define the form of the fisherman, the texture of his woven basket, and the mesh of the net. The lines are clean and deliberate, reflecting the technical discipline required in mid-seventeenth-century printmaking. The figure is depicted barefoot, wearing simple clothing, and carrying his tools with a sense of weary familiarity. The background is minimal, which directs the viewer's attention entirely to the subject and his equipment.

This print provides a glimpse into the social history of the era, where the daily activities of ordinary people became a subject of artistic interest. By translating Carracci's earlier observations into the medium of etching, Guillain preserved the character and posture of the working class. The plate number 67 in the bottom corner indicates its place within a larger collection of similar studies. The work is an example of the graphic traditions that flourished in Europe during the Baroque period, where the study of human form and movement was often grounded in the observation of everyday life. The print remains a clear record of the attire and tools associated with fishing in the Mediterranean region during this time.