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Wife being sold at Smithfield Market, London. 1797
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Wife being sold at Smithfield Market, London. 1797
Wife being sold at Smithfield Market, London. 1797. Text below
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Media ID 15170494
© London Metropolitan Archives (City of London) / Heritage-Images
Humiliated Humiliation Market Matthias Sell Seller Selling Sexism Sexist Smithfield Market Street Life
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EDITORS COMMENTS
Caption: "A Shocking Display of Sexism and Humiliation: Wife Being Sold at Smithfield Market, London in 1797". This powerful print captures a disturbing scene from the streets of 18th century London. In this engraving, an anonymous artist depicts a shocking incident that took place at Smithfield Market in 1797 - the sale of a wife. The image portrays a crowd gathering around as a man shamelessly sells his wife to the highest bidder. The woman's face reveals her humiliation and distress, while onlookers seem both intrigued and appalled by this spectacle. This engraving serves as an unsettling reminder of the deeply ingrained sexism prevalent during that time period. Smithfield Market, known for its bustling trade in food and livestock, becomes an unexpected backdrop for such a degrading event. The anonymity surrounding this artwork further emphasizes society's complicity in perpetuating gender inequality. Although it is important to acknowledge historical context when examining such images, we must also recognize the progress made since then towards achieving gender equality. Today, these scenes would be met with outrage rather than curiosity. Preserved within Guildhall Library and Art Gallery archives, this photograph offers us insight into street life during the eighteenth century while serving as a stark reminder of how far we have come in challenging sexist attitudes towards women. "
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