Broadside with 40 scenes of picturesque buildings and locations in Madrid 1855 - 1875

Editor: This is "Broadside with 40 scenes of picturesque buildings and locations in Madrid" dating from 1855-1875 by José María Marés. It's a print, made with lithograph and etching. It's interesting how many different buildings are included – it gives a really comprehensive view of the city at that time. What do you see in this piece, in terms of how it reflects the society and culture of Madrid at that time? Curator: It’s fascinating how this broadside functions as a form of visual propaganda. In the mid-19th century, cities were eager to showcase their modernity and cultural importance. What we see here is a deliberate selection of Madrid’s key architectural sites: royal palaces, government buildings, religious structures. Notice anything about which spaces *aren't* represented? Editor: Well, there aren’t any ordinary houses, or any factories…it’s all very official and grand. So it's showing a curated version of Madrid's identity? Curator: Exactly! And it's made accessible through the medium of a broadside. Cheaply printed and widely distributed, it reinforced a particular image of Madrid as a center of power, history and aesthetic beauty. This was crucial as Madrid positioned itself within a rapidly changing Europe, where national identities were actively being shaped and projected through art and media. This raises interesting questions about who the intended audience was, and how this imagery was meant to influence them. Editor: That’s so interesting – it completely changes how I see the piece. It’s not just a collection of pretty pictures, it’s a carefully constructed argument about the city. Curator: Precisely. By looking at the images presented, and the social context of their creation and dissemination, we begin to understand how urban landscapes are constructed and consumed as cultural products. Editor: I’ll definitely remember that next time I look at cityscape art. It's made me think about the power dynamics inherent in city representations!