Man and Woman Conversing in Front of an Inn

This drawing is not a first sketch for the etched composition, but a fully developed design. With pen and ink Van Ostade described the contours and details, while brush and wash indicate the shadows. This drawing was used to transfer the design to the copper plate: the main lines are indented. The artist laid the drawing on a prepared copper plate and used a stylus to press the contours into the etching ground underneath.