La Celestina corrupts Barcelona, political joke, by Picarol (1906)

La Celestina corrupts Barcelona, political joke, by Picarol (1906)

Picarol (Costa Ferrer, Josep 1876-1971)

1906

Three figures appear in the drawing, a man with a mustache and elegant clothing, a young woman and an old woman with a mustache and her head covered. The young woman represents the city of Barcelona, the old woman represents the procuress Celestina and the man represents the Banco Hispano Colonial ("Colonial Hispanic Bank"). The procuress is trying to corrupt the young woman so that she goes with the man for his money, as a manner to criticize the political context of the time between the Banco Hispano Colonial and the city of Barcelona. The dialogue between Celestina and Barcelona is as follows (translated):

"LA CELESTINA.- Give in, put on a good face; look that he's rich and is convenient for you...
BARCELONA.- He is useless; I prefer honor to all of his money."

Drawing Trata de blancas ("White slave traffic"), by Picarol for the magazine Almanach de La Esquella de la Torratxa (1906), edited by Antoni Lopez, page 41. Barcelona (https://arca.bnc.cat/arcabib_pro/ca/consulta/registro.do?id=2323).

Found in the Arxiu de Revistes Catalanes Antigues (Archive of Old Catalan Magazines), Biblioteca de Catalunya (Library of Catalonia):
https://arca.bnc.cat/arcabib_pro/ca/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?path=1002055

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220206151451/https://arca.bnc.cat/arcabib_pro/ca/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.do?path=1002055

Drawing.