Un Bourrlier (harness-maker)

DateCa. 1720

Artist/Maker Martin Engelbrecht

MediumHand colored black and white line engraving on laid paper

DimensionsO: 14" X 8/12"; plate to marks including title: 11 3/4" X 7 1/2"; picture alone: 10" X 7 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1955-150,23A

DescriptionUn Bourrlier is the harness-maker. He carries the tools and products of his trade on his person as follows: 1. (head) un poincon (punch); 2. (head) aleine (awl); 3. (round face) garcette (end of rope); 4. (right shoulder) gros poincon (large punches); 5. (right shoulder) tenailles (pliers); 6. (right hand) fouet (whip); 7. (right hand) petit fouet (small whip); 8.(round chest) boudrier coulant (slip knot for sulky); 9. (hanging from shoulder) harnoise en dehors (outside harness); 10.(over left arm) ceinturion (belts); 11. (over left arm) un plus petit ( a small er one); 12. (round waist) pincettes (pliers); 13. (hanging from waist) hochet (rattles); 14. (round knees) tarretetieres (garters.. Frenc word mispelled); 15. (on table to left) enclume et marteau (anvil and hammer); 16. (to right of figure) chevalet (saw-horse); 17. (to right of figure) guindaux (wind-lass).

Very bottom of lower margin reads, Cum Priv. Maj. Plate #99
Label TextMartin Engelbrecht’s mid-18th century publication on trades included both a male and female illustration of each trade or profession in creative ways. Though they represent the tools that tradesmen used and the products they produced, they were meant to entertain elite audiences rather than inform about the labor involved in these trades or professions.This print represents an idealized version of a harness-maker.

This print is from a series of 189 engravings consisting prints featuring depictions of tradesmen in the format known as composite figures, which are human figures made up of objects. Sometimes various accoutrements or tools are cleverly incorporated into recognizable garments or even replace body parts. Each plate represents different trades by trades men and women dressed with associated tools and products. They do not represent actual tradespeople nor are they meant to suggest that women participated in these trades, though in some cases they may have.They were designed by Johann Jacob Stelzner (1706-1780), C.F. Horstman and M. Rosler. They were etched by Martin Engelbrecht ( 1684–1756). The series was published in a compilation known as, From Martin Engelbrecht, "L' Assemblage nouveau des manouvries habilles or Neu-eröffnete Sammlung der mit ihren eigenen Arbeiten und Werkzeugen eingekleideten Künstlern, Handwerkern und Professionen," (Augsburg, Germany, ca. 1730).