Broadside with 48 scenes from the life of Periquillo the Barber

Art Historical Context

This vibrant broadside, created in 1866 by Pedro Cumané and Antonio, captures the lively adventures of Periquillo the Barber across forty-eight sequential scenes. Printed as a single sheet, it served as an accessible form of storytelling for nineteenth-century audiences, much like an early comic strip or illustrated pamphlet. The work men and women in everyday and dramatic situations, reflecting popular narratives that blended humor, morality, and local color. The medium of wood engraving allowed for fine detail and multiple impressions, making such prints affordable and widely distributed. This technique, refined in the 1800s, enabled artists to pack intricate storytelling into a compact format measuring just over seventeen by twelve inches. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Max G. Wildnauer Fund, the broadside highlights how printmaking bridged high art and popular culture during this period. Today, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the visual entertainment of its time, where complex tales unfolded through carefully arranged vignettes on a single page.

About the Artist

Pedro Cumané|Antonio Bosch (Spanish|Spanish) · |1860 – |1880

Spanish, active Gerona, 1860s|Spanish, active Barcelona, ca. 1860–1880