Smoker on a Stool Conversing with a Cobbler at Work

Adriaen van Ostade

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of a shoemaker's workshop attached to the side of a house. The scene depicts a small outdoor workspace with a thatched roof, where a figure is seated on a stool, engaged in the craft of shoemaking. Next to this figure is a lower door to the workshop, partially open. On top of the roof lies a small dog, curled up and asleep. The backdrop includes an exterior wall adorned with climbing ivy and a multi-paned window, while various tools and items, such as brooms and a water pump, are scattered around in the frame. The detailed linework complements the textures throughout the drawing, giving a sense of everyday life from a bygone era.