Tauolette, e libri per i putti, plate 44 - Simon Guillain

A seventeenth-century etching by Simon Guillain depicting an itinerant book and tablet vendor in Bologna.

This etching by Simon Guillain, a French sculptor and printmaker active during the seventeenth century, captures a street vendor in motion. The work belongs to a series documenting the various trades and figures observed in the streets of Bologna. The vendor carries a large basket strapped to his back, filled with books and small writing tablets, known as 'tauolette'. He holds an open book in his left hand, presenting his wares to potential customers as he walks.

Guillain employs a precise, linear etching technique to define the figure and his cargo. The cross-hatching on the clothing and the basket provides texture and volume, while the background remains minimal, suggesting a simple outdoor setting. The artist focuses on the physical reality of the vendor, documenting the specific tools and goods associated with his trade. The composition is dynamic, conveying the sense of a person caught in the middle of his daily rounds.

This print offers a glimpse into the social history of the period, documenting the itinerant merchants who populated urban centres. Guillain, who spent significant time in Italy, brought a keen observational eye to these figures. The work is devoid of idealisation, presenting the vendor with a directness that characterises much of the genre art from this era. The inclusion of the 'tauolette' provides specific information regarding the educational materials available to children at the time. The print serves as a record of both the individual and the broader economic activities of the seventeenth-century city.