Coffee Vendor 1746

"Coffee Vendor" (1746) is a black and white etching by French artist Anne Claude Philippe Caylus, depicting a Parisian coffee vendor pouring coffee from a large pot. The work belongs to a series of etchings titled "Etudes Prises dans le bas Puple, ou les Cris de Paris" ("Studies taken from the lower classes, or the Cries of Paris"). Caylus, a prominent figure in 18th-century French art, is known for his interest in social observation and realistic depiction of daily life. This etching, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a glimpse into the social landscape of 18th-century Paris, capturing the everyday activities of its working-class citizens.