Vegetable Sellers with Baskets

This sheet is a working proof, a print made so artists can check their progress before finalizing an image. This one was made before Edgar Chahine added details such as paving stones, sidewalks, and trees. While those eventual details made the image appear more realistic, this early version lends itself to a more symbolic interpretation. Divorced from specific surroundings, the figures seem monumental, emblematic of the struggles of urban working-class women.