Plate 6: four street vendors from Madrid selling navitos, muslin, fans, plants, from 'Los Gritos de Madrid' (The Cries of Madrid) 1809 - 1817

Editor: This is Plate 6 from 'Los Gritos de Madrid,' created between 1809 and 1817 by Miguel Gamborino. It seems to be a print made with colored pencil and drawing techniques. The composition, with the four figures arranged in a grid, feels quite formal. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: Formally, the piece operates through a calculated division of space. The grid-like arrangement dictates a comparative reading. Consider the textures – the rough hatching delineating the figures versus the relatively smooth backgrounds. Notice how Gamborino employs color not naturalistically, but rather as a means to differentiate each vendor, heightening the compositional clarity. Are you persuaded by his colour choice to enhance distinction or just represent the subjects? Editor: I hadn’t thought of that, that it might be more about distinction rather than realism! I guess I was so caught up in seeing them as portraits of real people. The colors are soft, not harsh, so I assumed they reflected the actual clothing and wares. Curator: The gentleness in hue mitigates the starkness of the grid, it's true. But regard the function of line! See how it defines, almost etches each figure, isolating them within their zones. Does that suggest a focus on the individual or something else? Editor: It isolates them, yes. Almost like specimens. Is he saying something about the social structure through this technique? Curator: Precisely. Now consider how that structural choice impacts the piece as a whole. How do you now perceive its essence? Editor: I see. The formality of the structure contrasts with the everyday subject matter, highlighting their individual roles and, perhaps, the social strata of Madrid. It encourages an interesting critical reading of society. Curator: Exactly, the interplay of color, line and structured composition ultimately produces an engaging dialogue between subject and style, don’t you think? Editor: I definitely do. Thanks! This deeper look really changed my perception of the work.