Buy my goose, my fat goose

This print is the second plate in Thomas Rowlandson's 1799 series 'Cries of London'. Its title refers to the cry of the portly goose-seller who is seen here bartering with an elderly couple at the door of their home.

While the vendor holds a goose in each hand and a covered basket rests at his feet, the woman sniffs a bird and the man holds his hands up in alarm. Their reactions imply that the produce being sold is not particularly fresh.

Street criers advertised an eclectic range of produce on the streets of the city. Rowlandson produced several series focusing on street vendors. His 1799 series was the first and included depictions of a seller of brick-dust and a flower vendor.