Donuts fryer, egg seller and the itinerant water seller 1823

Saverio della Gatta’s watercolor painting depicts a street scene populated by vendors. The artist has carefully depicted the tools of each trade: the large pan and portable stove for the donut fryer, the baskets of eggs, and the water seller's dispensing equipment. The materiality of the scene extends to the human figures, whose labor makes the local economy function. The donut fryer’s focused attention contrasts with the egg seller’s presentation, and with the water seller, who seems to be advertising his wares. Della Gatta has taken care to show us how these everyday commodities were made available. These activities are all intensely social; the act of street vending becomes a kind of performance, offering entertainment as well as sustenance. Paying attention to these sorts of details demonstrates the importance of the economic realities of artistic patronage, and a broader understanding of craft and fine arts.