Pomegranates and Lemons - Simon Guillain

A seventeenth-century etching by Simon Guillain depicting a street vendor, based on the observational drawings of Annibale Carracci.

This etching by Simon Guillain, dated 1646, depicts a street vendor carrying a basket of pomegranates and a cluster of lemons. The work is part of a series of prints based on the drawings of Annibale Carracci, specifically those documenting the street life and trades of Bologna. Guillain, a French sculptor and engraver, translated the observational quality of Carracci's original sketches into the medium of etching with precision.

The figure stands in a relaxed posture, his gaze directed slightly away from the viewer. He wears a simple tunic, breeches, and a cap, typical of the working class in the seventeenth century. The background features a simplified architectural structure, suggesting a public square or market setting. Guillain employs cross-hatching to define the volume of the figure and the texture of the fruit, creating a clear distinction between the foreground subject and the sparse environment.

This print belongs to the tradition of 'le arti di Bologna', a genre that captured the daily activities of common people. By focusing on the mundane task of a fruit seller, the work provides a glimpse into the social fabric of the period. The lines are clean and deliberate, reflecting the technical standards of mid-seventeenth-century printmaking. The composition is balanced, with the weight of the basket and the fruit held in the vendor's hand providing a sense of physical presence. The work remains a clear example of the collaborative nature of print production during this era, where the engraver acted as a conduit for the observations of a master painter.