Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Rouen: La Chapelle de l'Institut, Paris

1839

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Rouen: La Chapelle de l'Institut, Paris is a 1839 by Thomas Shotter Boys, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Thomas Shotter Boys
When & what style?: 1839 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows a grand stone building with a rounded dome and tall columns. In front, people in old-fashioned clothes walk and chat on a wide, open street. Some wear hats and coats, while others carry bags or stand near a horse-drawn carriage. The sky is pale, and the light makes the building’s details stand out. The artist focused on the mix of light and shadow to give the scene depth. This was a common trick in Romanticism to make everyday places feel dramatic. Look up Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and detail to show the world differently.

About the artist

Artist

Thomas Shotter Boys

Thomas Shotter Boys (1803–1874) was an English watercolour painter and lithographer, mostly producing cityscapes and images of buildings, although he produced some rural landscapes and marine subjects.

See the richer artist page