A detailed 1646 etching by Simon Guillain depicting a street vendor carrying a heavy load of pottery through a seventeenth-century town.

This etching by Simon Guillain, dated 1646, belongs to a series documenting the street vendors of seventeenth-century Paris. The work captures a solitary figure burdened by a large wicker basket filled with ceramic wares, while he simultaneously balances a bowl of smaller vessels in his arms. The composition focuses on the physical exertion of the labourer, whose posture is bent under the weight of his inventory. Guillain employs a precise, linear technique to define the contours of the figure and the varied textures of the pottery, from the smooth surfaces of the bowls to the woven structure of the basket.

The background is rendered with minimal detail, providing a subtle suggestion of a townscape that keeps the viewer's attention fixed on the vendor. The artist uses cross-hatching to create depth and shadow, particularly in the musculature of the legs and the folds of the vendor's tunic. This series is a valuable record of the social and economic life of the period, documenting the individuals who populated the streets of the capital. Guillain, primarily known as a sculptor, demonstrates a high level of technical proficiency in this print, showing an interest in the human form and the realities of daily existence. The print is marked with the artist's initials and the plate number in the lower corners, consistent with the conventions of seventeenth-century print series. This piece offers a clear view into the historical documentation of trade and labour, presented with a direct and observational approach.