Monte Pio
Location: Mexico City
Description:
The background information given for this illustration gives us an insight into her costume. The author tells us that a young woman from a once wealthy family has come to the marketplace in Mexico City to sell off some of their few remaining goods to provide a modicum of support to the now financially struggling family. We can see by her manner of dress that she has not rid herself of all of the vestiges of her privileged past. She covers her head like a proper lady, and we can see beneath her manto that her hair has been done up in curls, something which a woman of the working class would simply not have the time to do. Her dress appears to be of a good quality, with some kind of embroidery.
Of the scarce images in this book, this is one of the best drawn, it would seem that more personal attention was paid to it. We have to wonder where the background story originated, whether it was purely the invention of the author or if he truly understood her situation, because this of course changes the motives for the drawing. This engraving was clearly meant to be anecdotal, but makes for a valuable study of dress.
Book Title: Pictures of Life in Mexico Volume 1
Plate Number: Page 41
Call Number: F1213 .M39 1852 v.1