Mercader

The Beneficent Classes

The Merchant (Mercader) and Silversmith (Argentera) are representations of traders, of the Girona that does business. 

Merchant bears the name of Mechants Street, a modest street located at the foot of the Jewish Quarter. He evokes the important Jewish community that was concetrated in the narrow streets of the ghetto and included as many as 1000 people. He is a money-lender, alluding to the stereotype of the Jew as a miser and an userer. 

This image has a basis in fact. The Catholic Church’s condemnation of usuary meant that Jews took on the role of banker, lending money and charging interest. Through this practice small fortunes were accumulated, and many Jews became important merchants. 

This way of making money was not without its problems. On various occasions Christian debtors tried to settle their debts by force. In 1492, after many troubles, the Jews were expelled from the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella). 

The Merchant “bighead” (capgròs) has a large nose, a regular feature in caricatures of Jews, a trimmed beard, and the ample smile of someone who has just closed a good business deal. In his mouth one can see only one tooth. Without doubt, he lost the others testing the authenticity of the metal used to mint coins.