Plate 9: four street vendors from Madrid selling different kinds of birds (chicken, turkey, etc), from "Los Gritos de Madrid" (The Cries of Madrid)

Art Historical Context

This engraving from Miguel Gamborino’s series *Los Gritos de Madrid* (The Cries of Madrid) captures four street vendors offering poultry such as chickens and turkeys. Created between 1809 and 1817 and printed by the Imprenta Real, the work belongs to a long European tradition of “cries” imagery that documented the lively sounds and sights of city commerce. Gamborino’s detailed line work brings out the vendors’ distinctive costumes and the birds’ textures, while delicate hand coloring adds warmth and individuality to each impression. The series offers a vivid record of everyday life in early nineteenth-century Madrid during the turbulent years of the Peninsular War. Street vendors played an essential role in feeding urban populations, and Gamborino’s prints preserve their calls, gestures, and wares as a form of social documentation. As an engraving enhanced by hand coloring, the plate could be produced in multiples yet retain a lively, almost painterly quality, making these scenes accessible to a wide audience. Today, this sheet in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection invites viewers to imagine the bustling markets of old Madrid and the human stories behind the city’s daily rhythms.