A public square in a French port, in which a medicine vendor cries up his wares to an audience of traders and strollers. Coloured aquatint by J. Léveillé, 1785, after A. Borel.

The medicine vendor stands on the right, in front of his stand. He wears decorative clothes and holds up a flask of his medicine. In front of him are his props: conjuring equipment, musical instruments, tame animals. Among the crowd watching him are a well-dressed couple, he old and using a quizzing glass, she younger and surreptitiously passing a billet doux to a lover. Others among the spectators are from Turkey or the Levant

Right background, three wooden houses containing shops: left to right a coffee house (presumably "[Ca]fé"), a house advertising a tightrop walker ("Grands danseur du Roy"), and a shop ("Magazin de modes") selling fashionable knicknacks (fans, hats, vases, clocks etc.) Right foreground, some bales and goods traded at the port

Left, the port, with a statue of a woman personifying Hope and Plenty. Behind and centre, a substantial stone building, presumably a customs house

The medicine vendors' banner contains lettering "Par permission du Roy" and a painting of the medicine vendor treating a seated lady, possibly by laying on of hands

Paris (rue de la Harpe, au coin de celle Poupée, no. 182) : chez Vidal graveur, [1785]

1 print : aquatint, with etching and watercolour ; image and borders 37.5 x 53.5 cm

Le charlatan. Borel pinx. L'Eveillé sculp. Further lettering within the image: (lower left) "Borel del.", lower right "F. Aug. L'Eveillé sculp. anno 1785"

Wellcome Collection 811674i