Plate 18: four street vendors from Madrid selling food, a pig etc, from 'Los Gritos de Madrid' (The Cries of Madrid) 1809 - 1817

Editor: So, here we have "Plate 18: four street vendors from Madrid selling food, a pig etc, from 'Los Gritos de Madrid'," dating from 1809 to 1817. It's a watercolor and print work by Miguel Gamborino, currently at the Met. The presentation feels almost like a catalog of figures. What catches your eye? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the materials—the layering of watercolor over print suggests a mechanized process enhanced by hand-applied color, raising questions about the perceived value of labor. Who were these vendors? What were their working conditions? And how did Gamborino’s choices of media impact the consumption of these images by the public? Editor: That’s interesting! I was thinking more about the individuals portrayed and the scenes that might depict a “day in their lives”. Curator: Precisely! We often forget the physical realities embedded in these artworks. Consider the paper itself: where was it made, who processed the pigments, and who bought the final product? Art is so much more than a visual experience—it's about labor, about resources, and a whole system of exchange. Even the romantic vision represented in this work is, itself, the product of material forces. How do you think this consideration affects the way we view art history? Editor: I guess it makes it more grounded? We tend to think of art as transcending everyday life, but it’s totally rooted in the tangible world and the socio-economic dynamics. I need to be more thoughtful about not only what is presented but how it was made, and the choices involved. Curator: Indeed. Shifting our focus towards materials can really reveal the tangible links between artistic expression and the historical realities of production and labor, wouldn’t you agree?