Parochialstraße was typical of the areas of Berlin where crafts men and tradesmen both worked and lived. Gaertner has captured the atmosphere of a typical work day with a clear affection for detail. The early-morning sun touches the topfloors of the narrow houses. The cobbled street is already bustling with activity: to the left a pipe-smoking coppersmith with his wares on display and, across the street, an inn and women talking at the entrance to a shop. A coach is turning into the street from Klosterstraße with Berlin’s oldest church, St. Nicholas, rising up in the background.