The Poultry Merchant c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have "The Poultry Merchant" by Pierre Audouin, a French artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so grounded. Look at the textures: the feathers, the weave of the basket, the rough stone of the building. You can almost feel the weight of the day's labor. Curator: It presents a fascinating glimpse into the visual culture of the era, revealing details about commerce and social interaction. The figure on the left, for example, seems to represent a shift in the economic landscape. Editor: I agree. It's all about the labor involved, isn't it? The processing, the selling—these daily activities are not so detached from high art as some might think. Curator: Exactly, the image functions as a historical artifact, reflecting societal values and the roles of women in the marketplace. Editor: It makes me think about the tools, the techniques… the hands that prepared the scene we see. It offers a certain immediacy.