Plein met groenteverkoopster 1825 - 1835

Jean-Baptiste Madou’s lithograph "Plein met groenteverkoopster" captures a bustling market scene with a formal grace. The composition centers on a woman, a 'Verdurière', or vegetable seller, her form rendered with precision. Madou employs lithography's tonal range to subtly define shapes and textures, and the market scene uses varying degrees of crispness and blur to create a sense of depth. The woman's garments are meticulously detailed, her strong stance anchors the composition, while background figures add layers to the narrative. Madou's attention to detail invites a semiotic reading; the woman's attire, her basket, and the market setting operate as signs, reflecting the social and economic fabric of 19th-century Belgium. The artwork doesn’t merely depict a scene; it creates a dialogue about the relationship between commerce, identity, and representation.