Night Sketch of the Thames near Hungerford Bridge c. 1866

Editor: This is George Price Boyce’s "Night Sketch of the Thames near Hungerford Bridge." It's such a moody, almost gothic take on the London skyline. What story do you think Boyce is trying to tell? Curator: A nocturne, indeed! I see Boyce capturing not just a scene, but a feeling, that quiet hum of the industrial age settling into slumber. Notice how the reflections become almost as substantial as the buildings themselves, blurring the line between reality and dream. What does that reflection evoke for you? Editor: A kind of doubling, like a question. Curator: Precisely! Boyce asks us to consider what lies beneath the surface, both literally in the water and figuratively within the city. A city's dreams, perhaps. Editor: I never thought of it that way, but that's beautiful! Curator: Art often is, isn't it?