Plate 11: four street vendors from Madrid selling different kinds of fish, from 'Los Gritos de Madrid' (The Cries of Madrid)

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling streets of early 19th-century Madrid *Plate 11: four vendors from Madrid selling different of fish*, from Miguel Gamborino's series * Gritos de Madrid*The Cries of Madrid published between 1809 and1817 by Imprenta Real. This lively engraving captures the vibrant daily commerce of the Spanish capital, showcasing vendors hawking their fresh catches amid the city's clamor. Gamborino, a skilled Spanish engraver, immortalizes these working-class figures, each with their distinctive cries and wares, offering a vivid snapshot of urban life during a turbulent era marked by the Napoleonic Wars and Spain's struggle for independence. Printed as an engraving with delicate hand coloring, the work exemplifies the technical finesse of the period. The intaglio process allowed for intricate details in the vendors' expressions, clothing, and fish displays, while the added hues bring a sense of immediacy and realism, transforming a black-and-white print into a colorful tableau. Measuring about 12 by 8 inches, it's a compact yet evocative piece from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection. Culturally, *Los Gritos* belongs to the costumbrista tradition, celebrating everyday Madrid through its street sellers—the "cries" referring to their hawking calls. This plate not only documents a vanishing world of pre-industrial trade but also highlights the resilience of ordinary people, making it a treasured window into Spain's social history.