Artwork
Wälsche Würste kauft! (Sausage Seller)
Wälsche Würste kauft! (Sausage Seller) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Carl Conti. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Carl Conti’s 1775 print, titled *Wälsche Würste kauft!*, combines engraving and etching on laid paper. The work depicts a street vendor offering sausages, his attire and posture suggesting an 18th‑century urban setting. A caption in German at the bottom translates to “Buy sausages!” reinforcing the commercial theme of the image.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a man in period clothing, holding a string of sausages aloft while a basket of additional links rests on a low table. His tilted hat and slight smile convey a friendly, persuasive gesture toward potential customers, illustrating everyday market life and the informal economy of the time.
Technique & Style
Conti employed a hybrid of engraving and etching, using fine incised lines to model light and shadow across the figure and surrounding objects. The contrast between the crisp, engraved outlines and the softer, etched tonal areas creates a sense of depth, while the laid‑paper texture adds subtle visual interest to the surface.
History & Provenance
Created in 1775, the print reflects the commercial print culture of late‑Baroque Germany, when such genre scenes were popular for both decorative and didactic purposes. Although specific ownership records are scarce, the work is catalogued among Conti’s known prints and appears in several 19th‑century collections of German graphic art.
Artist & collection
