The Egg Seller from a set of the Italian Village Scenes 1734 - 1762

This is François Boucher's "The Egg Seller," a tapestry woven to evoke a scene of Italian village life. Ruins, lush vegetation, and the egg seller herself come together in the tapestry to evoke images of Arcadia. This idyllic vision is reinforced by the prominent vase, a form that stretches back to antiquity, and the broken column. What are we to make of the column? Notice how the column appears to be in a state of ruin, a reminder of the passage of time and the impermanence of human achievement. The column is offset by verdant imagery of growth, and the cycle of life. These images invoke a kind of collective yearning for a simpler, more harmonious existence, rooted in nature and free from the complexities of modern life. It's a vision that resonates across centuries, echoing in art from classical antiquity to the present day.