Buildings in Naples 1782

Thomas Jones made this painting, Buildings in Naples, with oil paint, likely on canvas or a wooden panel. The materials here are traditional to fine art. Yet look how Jones handles them. The scene depicts the everyday architecture of Naples, Italy. The texture of the buildings is rendered with thick, visible brushstrokes, lending a sense of authenticity to the urban landscape. The faded colors and weathered surfaces suggest the passage of time and the impact of the elements on the built environment. Jones seems fascinated by the textures of stucco and stone, the everyday materials out of which a city is made. Consider the labor involved in constructing these buildings, the anonymous workers who mixed the mortar, laid the bricks, and plastered the walls. The artist directs our gaze not towards grand monuments or picturesque vistas, but towards the ordinary structures that house the daily lives of the city's inhabitants. This choice elevates the status of the everyday, finding beauty and significance in the materials and processes that shape our built environment.