Artwork
Old Annapolis, Francis Street
Old Annapolis, Francis Street is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Francis Blackwell Mayer. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A quiet Annapolis street of brick houses, a horse-drawn cart, and a man in a top hat walking away. Mayer painted it in 1876, the nation's centennial, deliberately made to look like a scene from the 1700s, the light soft and nostalgic.
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of a cart and tree suggests both transportation and the modest natural elements that framed city streets at the time.
Old Annapolis, Francis Street depicts a mid‑19th‑century urban scene that includes a residential house, a commercial building, a horse‑drawn cart, the paved street, and a solitary tree. These elements together present a realistic view of everyday life in Annapolis, emphasizing the coexistence of domestic and commercial activity within a public thoroughfare. The inclusion of a cart and tree suggests both transportation and the modest natural elements that framed city streets at the time.
As a cityscape painted by Francis Blackwell Mayer in 1876, the work functions as a visual record of the town’s architecture and social environment, preserving the character of Francis Street for contemporary and future audiences.
Technique & Style
Old Annapolis, Francis Street is executed in oil on canvas, a medium typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century American genre painting. The work measures roughly 40.1 cm by 52.1 cm, a size that allows detailed rendering of the street’s cart, surrounding houses, and a solitary tree. Its classification as a cityscape within The American Wing reflects a focus on urban everyday life, while the composition balances linear perspective with naturalistic brushwork to convey depth.
The painting’s surface retains the characteristic sheen of oil, and its depiction of architectural detail alongside modest foliage exemplifies the realist aesthetic of the period.
History & Provenance
Old Annapolis, Francis Street is an 1876 oil on canvas cityscape by American artist Francis Blackwell Mayer. The painting was executed in the year 1876, a date recorded in the documentation, and measures approximately 40.1 × 52.1 cm. It portrays a street scene with a building, cart, house, trees and other elements. The work is classified within The American Wing and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, indicating its current ownership by the museum.
Its creation history is tied to Mayer’s activity in the 1870s, and the dating is confirmed by the documented inception date of 1876‑01‑01.
The painting Old Annapolis, Francis Street by Francis Blackwell Mayer is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within the American Wing. Created in 1876, this oil on canvas work depicts a street scene featuring buildings, carts, and trees. While the sources confirm its current institutional location and departmental classification, they do not provide a specific accession or inventory number, nor do they list any past or current exhibitions in which the work has been displayed.
Overview
Francis Blackwell Mayer's 'Old Annapolis, Francis Street' (1876) depicts a quiet, sun-drenched thoroughfare in Annapolis, Maryland, characterized by its colonial-era brick architecture. The composition centers on a horse-drawn cart and a solitary figure in a top hat walking away from the viewer, establishing a sense of daily life frozen in time. Executed in oil on canvas, the work employs a soft, diffused light and a muted palette to evoke a nostalgic atmosphere, deliberately obscuring the modernity of the 1870s.
Painted during the United States Centennial year, the piece reflects Mayer's intent to visualize the nation's colonial heritage rather than its contemporary reality. By presenting the street as an artifact of the eighteenth century, Mayer contributes to the period's broader cultural fascination with early American history and the preservation of colonial aesthetics. This work stands as a significant example of the artist's dedication to documenting Maryland's architectural history through a romanticized, historical lens, distinguishing his approach from the more immediate realism found in his other cityscapes.
Context
This work was completed in 1876, coinciding with the centennial of the United States. During this period, there was a widespread interest in America's foundational history and its colonial past. The artist's choice to depict Annapolis as if it were from the 1700s aligns with this broader cultural sentiment, reflecting a national inclination to look back at the origins of the republic.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francis Blackwell Mayer (December 27, 1827 – December 5, 1899) was a prominent 19th-century American genre painter from Maryland.
