Wayside café, with men drawing water from a well, and others seated, smoking, being served with coffee

1822

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Dominant colour

Wayside café, with men drawing water from a well, and others seated, smoking, being served with coffee is a 1822 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1822 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a simple street scene with a few people going about their day. On the left, two men are drawing water from a round well, while another stands nearby. In the middle, two seated figures—one smoking a pipe—rest on chairs. To the right, a small café with a roof has a man serving coffee to others inside. The drawing uses quick, loose lines to capture movement and daily life. The artist focused on ordinary moments rather than grand scenes. Look up *cross-hatching* to see how artists build shadows with lines.

The story of this work

Overview

An 1822 drawing depicts a wayside café scene where men draw water from a well while others sit, smoke, and are served coffee. The work is attributed to an unknown amateur artist, previously tentatively linked to Sir Grenville Temple S. or P. J. A.

Read the full account in the museum source.