Description
Francis Wheatley (1747–1801) was a British painter born in Covent Garden who created a series of 13 idealized depictions of working-class street vendors. Some sources specifically identify the publication date of the engraving as 1795, others—particularly museum records—list 1799. The 13 print collection includes iconic street scenes; the images were initially oil paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy before being reproduced as popular stipple engravings and hand-colored. The prints provide a glimpse into the clothing and professions of 18th-century Londoners, including women in shifts, stays, and aprons. This print captures a moment from the strawberry girl’s daily routine in London, calling attention to the challenges and struggles of labor in the city.
The “Cries of London” was a recurring theme in English printmaking for over three centuries. These prints form a visual record of London’s “lower orders”, the peddlers, charlatans, street hawkers, milkmaids, and grocers who made their living on the city streets. They give the viewer a glimpse of a long forgotten London where tradesmen would advertise their wares with a musical shout or a melodic rhyme. One of the most famous series of “London Cries” is the group of pretty pictures executed by Francis Wheatley. Wheatley’s series was immensely popular and enjoyed a long period of success in the English print shops. Between 1792 and 1795 Wheatley exhibited 14 paintings of the “Cries” at the Royal Academy. The pictures attracted a great deal of attention at the exhibition, and Colnaghi & Co. quickly agreed to publish a suite of engravings after Wheatley’s famous series. The prints, which were executed in stipple, were engraved by some the most noted engravers in England; artists such as Luigi Schiavonetti, Giovanni Vendramini and Thomas Gaugain all contributed their work to the series.
The printed area is 11 x 14″
The printed plate is 15 x 18-1/4″
The frame is 16-1/4 x 19-3/8″
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