Plate 10: four street vendors from Madrid selling broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, and asparagus, from 'Los Gritos de Madrid' (The Cries of Madrid) 1809 - 1817

This is Plate 10 from "The Cries of Madrid" made by Miguel Gamborino around the turn of the 19th century. The print depicts four street vendors with their produce: broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes and asparagus. These images offer us a glimpse into the economic and social life of Madrid at the time. The series to which this plate belongs falls into the genre of “costumbrismo,” depicting scenes of everyday life and local customs. The artist captures the vendors' clothing and the goods they sell, offering insights into the city’s economy, the labor of street vending and the marketing of food. Works like this served to document and classify the social types of the city, and were often consumed by the middle classes. By studying prints like this, we can learn about the social fabric of 18th and 19th century Madrid. To do so involves looking at sources from the period - texts, images, and other artifacts - that offer glimpses into the lives of ordinary people and how they were represented in art and culture.