Seller of Measures of Wine (Plate 3) - Simon Guillain

A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Simon Guillain, capturing a Parisian street vendor carrying a large wooden measure.

This etching by Simon Guillain depicts a street vendor carrying a large, cylindrical wooden measure on his back. The figure is captured in profile, walking with a staff, accompanied by a small dog. The work belongs to a series documenting the various trades and street characters of seventeenth-century Paris. Guillain, a sculptor and printmaker, utilised precise, controlled lines to define the texture of the vendor's clothing and the wooden slats of his burden. The background remains sparse, focusing the viewer's attention on the physical exertion and the specific tools of the trade.

Guillain was a significant figure in the French art scene during the mid-seventeenth century. His work often reflects the social realities of the period, documenting the daily lives of common people rather than the idealised subjects typical of the era's courtly art. The etching technique allows for a high degree of detail, visible in the cross-hatching used to create shadow and volume on the figure. The composition is balanced, with the verticality of the staff and the vendor's posture contrasting with the horizontal lines of the architectural elements in the background. This print provides a glimpse into the urban environment of Paris, capturing a moment of labour with directness and clarity. The inclusion of the dog adds a sense of realism to the scene, grounding the figure in a recognisable, everyday context. As a historical document, the series offers insight into the economic life of the city, where itinerant sellers were a common sight in the streets and markets.