Street Scene, Lined with Buildings 

Thomas Sully made this watercolour painting of a "Street Scene, Lined with Buildings" sometime in the early 19th century. The buildings loom over what appears to be a narrow road. It invites us to consider how space is organized and experienced differently by various social classes. Note the contrast between the grand structure in the distance, possibly a government building or an estate, and the modest homes lining the street. Sully, an American artist who trained in Britain, was known for portraits of wealthy patrons. This watercolour suggests a different kind of subject, focusing on the environment inhabited by the working class. Was Sully exploring the socio-economic divisions in society? To fully understand the historical meaning of this piece, one might research the urban planning and architecture of Sully's time, exploring how the built environment reflected and reinforced social hierarchies. Art offers a unique window into the social dynamics of the past.