Artwork
The Tinker (Le retameur)
The Tinker (Le retameur) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Felix Régamey. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Felix Régamey’s 1876 etching, titled *The Tinker* (Le retameur), presents a solitary figure engaged in metalwork outdoors. Rendered in ink on paper, the print captures a moment of everyday labor, framed by a natural setting of grass, trees and scattered blossoms, with a dog resting nearby.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a man seated on the ground, repairing a pot or kettle. He holds a tool in one hand and a piece of metal in the other, his beard rendered in fine strokes. The presence of the dog and the tranquil surroundings suggest a quiet, self‑sufficient existence, emphasizing the dignity of manual work.
Technique & Style
Régamey employed the etching process, incising lines into a metal plate and using acid to create varying depths of ink. The print is distinguished by rapid, loose lines that convey movement, particularly in the grass and the figure’s facial hair. This approach gives the scene a lively, spontaneous quality despite the medium’s inherent precision.
History & Provenance
Created in 1876, *The Tinker* reflects the artist’s interest in genre scenes of rural life during the late nineteenth century. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work has been documented in catalogues of Régamey’s prints and appears in collections that focus on French etching of the period.
Artist & collection
Desperate Man (Le desespere)
Death and the Woodcutter, 4th plate (La Mort et le bûcheron)
Two blacksmiths beneath a parasol
Job, 1st plate
A blacksmith at his anvil
Old man, Old Tree (Vieil homme, vieil arbre)
The Tinker
The Woodcutter’s House (Vendée)
The House of the Woodcutter, Vendee (La maison du bucheron, Vendee)
