Au Vinaigre (Vinegar), plate 6 from "Le Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris), reverse copy
Original title: Reverse copy of Au Vinaigre (Vinegar), plate 6 from "Le Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris)
kurzbeschreibung
An vinegar seller with a bucket on his back turns toward a woman at a window. Simon Francis Ravenet the elder made this etching in the 18th century as a reversed copy of the sixth sheet from Jean-Baptiste Greuze's series 'Le Cris de Paris'.
Description
A man in plain clothes carries a bucket on his back; from a window, a woman speaks to him while holding an object in her hand. A wall with a door closes off the background. In black and white, fine hatching and lines emphasize the texture of the garments and the masonry. The layout brings the encounter between the two figures into view.
Context
In the 18th century, the series 'Le Cris de Paris' documented the street cries of Parisian traders. The French-English engraver Ravenet produced this copy after a model by Greuze; the reversed image results from the printing process. Such series were highly popular as collectibles and offered glimpses into urban daily life.
Impact
Clear lines and nuanced shading give the print liveliness and realism. From the interplay between seller and customer arises a narrative tension that immerses the viewer in the historical everyday life of Paris.
Technique
The combination of etching and engraving allows fine lines and precise shading. The reversed image is created by the printing process, in which the motif is transferred mirror-image from the plate to the paper.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)