Untitled (View on the Praya, looking east, Hong Kong)
1870
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1870
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a row of white Western buildings along Hong Kong’s waterfront, a single Chinese boat in the foreground, and dark hills behind. Floyd painted this when photography was new. His clean lines and balanced shapes make the scene feel orderly—unlike the blurry photos of the time. The boat points your eye straight to the buildings, almost like an arrow. If you like this quiet, precise style, look up *chiaroscuro*—how artists use light and shadow to shape a scene.
