A Book Peddler
A new kind of image emerged in seventeenth-century Europe: portraits of common members of society depicted with a sobriety and grandeur previously reserved for the elite. This peddler of popular printed pamphlets engages us with a deadpan gaze that implores us to make a purchase—or, perhaps, to take in his presence and reflect on our own social position. His proportions suggest dwarfism, while his oversized shoes, inturned ankles, and staff suggest imbalance and perhaps physical disability. Such conditions are not stated outright, however, resulting in an exceptionally empathetic image. Another painting by this anonymous artist was purchased by the Medici family in 1689.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Book Peddler
- Artist: Master of the Canesso Peddler (active northern Italy, late 17th century)
- Date: ca. 1670–90
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 66 15/16 × 40 9/16 in. (170 × 103 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, and John Pritzker and Mark Fisch Gifts, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.303
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
1725–29
Jan Steen
ca. 1670
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
late 1720s
Anthony van Dyck
ca. 1622
Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)
ca. 1643
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