{"product_id":"a-famous-spy-plate-77-simon-guillain","title":"A famous spy!, plate 77 - Simon Guillain","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 1646 etching by Simon Guillain, depicting a hunched figure in a stealthy pose, based on a drawing by Annibale Carracci.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis etching by Simon Guillain, dated 1646, captures a singular figure in a posture of exaggerated stealth. The work is part of a series based on drawings by Annibale Carracci, which documented the street life and varied characters of Rome. Guillain, a French sculptor and printmaker, translated the fluid lines of the original sketches into the precise medium of etching, maintaining the spontaneity of the initial observation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe subject is depicted in a hunched, forward-leaning stance, suggesting a deliberate attempt to remain inconspicuous. The figure wears a simple cap and a loose-fitting coat, with a walking stick providing a point of stability. Guillain employs cross-hatching to define the shadows cast upon the ground, grounding the figure within an otherwise sparse, white space. The focus remains entirely on the character's physical attitude and the narrative implication of his title.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis print reflects the seventeenth-century interest in physiognomy and the classification of social types. By isolating the figure against a plain background, the artist directs the viewer to the specificities of the costume and the tension in the subject's pose. The line quality is clean and descriptive, characteristic of the period's printmaking techniques, where the etched line mimics the immediacy of a pen-and-ink drawing. The signature at the bottom right acknowledges the collaboration between the original draughtsman, Annibale Carracci, and the printmaker, Simon Guillain. This piece offers a glimpse into the observational practices of the Baroque era, where the mundane activities of the urban population became subjects for artistic study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/portrait-of-charles-i-of-england-anthony-van-dyck\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePortrait of Charles I of England - Anthony van Dyck — Anthony van Dyck\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/pastoral-landscape-with-the-ponte-molle-claude-lorrain\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePastoral Landscape with the Ponte Molle - Claude Lorrain — Claude Lorrain\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Simon Guillain","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58493515858255,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58493584539983,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58493584572751,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58493584605519,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58493584638287,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58493584671055,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58493584703823,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58493584736591,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58493584769359,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58493584802127,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58493584834895,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58493584867663,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/A-famous-spy-plate-77_Poster_CompositorV1_1786410202176.jpg?v=1786946575","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/a-famous-spy-plate-77-simon-guillain","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}