1795 Fr. Wheatley, Cries of London, Fruit Seller, large folio stipple engraving, trades

Antonie Cardon (Brussels 1772 – London 1813) after Francis Wheatley RA (1747 – 28 June 1801)

Cries of London: Round and Sound Five pence a Pound Duke Cherries - Cerises douches, Cerises â la douce 

[London: Published by Colnaghi & Co. No. 132 Pall Mall, June 25, 1795.]

Sepia printed stipple engraving. Printed on wove paper. 

Image size: 

14 x 11 inches. Sheet size: 17 3/8 x 13 inches.

35 x 28 cm. Sheet size: 45 x 33 cm.

Wonderful image of a cherry seller from Wheatley's famous "Cries of London" series. 

The "Cries of London" was a recurring theme in English printmaking for over three centuries. These colourful 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. 

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 series of engravings after Wheatley's famous series. Only thirteen of the fourteen paintings were engraved and they were offered for sale individually or in a portfolio collection. The prints, which were executed in stipple, were engraved by some the most noted engravers in England. Complete collections of the "Cries" remained immensely popular, and by 1910 they were fetching more than James Audubon's folio "Birds of America" at auction. This lovely print is plate eight in the series and depicts a cherry seller weighing out a portion of cherries for two eager children. 

Roberts F. Wheatley, R.A. His Life and Works London, 1910, pp.28-32.

Light even age toning.