A case of hidden authorship in "costumbrista" literature during the reign of Charles IV: the series on the ferias de Madrid (1791-1796)

Abstract

This article addresses a case of authorship in a series of "costumbrista"-style works set in the context of the ferias de Madrid published between 1791 and 1796. "Mis vagatelas, ó las ferias de Madrid" (1791), "El tiempo de ferias, ó Jacinto en Madrid" (1793) -- both published anonymously -- , and "El Ropavejero literario, en las ferias de Madrid" (1796), signed by Desiderio Cerdonio and reissued in 1834, were advertised periodically in the Madrid press, mainly in the "Gaceta de Madrid" and the "Diario de Madrid". These advertisements allow us to get a detailed understanding of the marketing and commercialization of these works in the Madrid book market and serve as useful tools for explaining their connection. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse this textual corpus, situating it in the "costumbrista"-style literature that emerged during the reign of Charles IV, prior to consulting the advertisements for the three works published in the official and local press in order to determine their authorship.