Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Rouen, Etc.: South Porch of Chartres Cathedral,

1839

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Rouen, Etc.: South Porch of Chartres Cathedral, 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 sketch shows the front of a grand old church with tall, carved columns. Above the doorway, statues of saints stand in rows, looking down. In front, three people sit or kneel on the steps—one with a basket, another resting against the wall, and a child playing. The artist focused on how light hits the stone, making shadows deep and details sharp. This was a common way to show texture in drawings back then. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.

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