Musée du Louvre; collection des dessins, Le Remouler, par Watteau; from Magasin Pittoresque 1848 - 1864

This print by Charles Jacque, after Watteau, now at the Metropolitan Museum, depicts a tool grinder, a tradesman sharpening knives using a foot-powered grindstone. The grindstone, a circular symbol, is at the center. We see this ancient motif across cultures, from medieval illustrations of craftsmen to the repetitive wheel in depictions of the Buddhist cycle of life. Here, it represents not spiritual enlightenment, but the mundane labor of a craftsman. The circle, eternally turning, carries echoes of human toil across the ages. The stooped posture of the grinder, head bowed, symbolizes labor. One sees it in Millet’s "The Gleaners", where the bending figures resonate with the weight of historical labor. This posture, passed down through art, mirrors the psychological burden of manual work, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with the universal human condition. This is not merely a depiction of a trade, but a profound engagement with cycles and the enduring nature of human activity, continuously evolving through history.