Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Touen, etc. 1839

Thomas Shotter Boys made this watercolor and graphite artwork called *Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Antwerp, Touen, etc.* sometime in the mid-19th century. The image shows a street scene in a Northern European town, probably France or Belgium. On the left is a large gothic building, perhaps a church, and on the right are shops and houses. In the street are several figures dressed in the style of the time. What is most interesting is how the artist presents the image, almost like a stage set. The rough rocks in the foreground make you feel like you are watching a play from behind the scenes. In the 19th century, there was a fashion for picturesque images of Europe's old towns, and this picture fits into that trend. But it is also interesting to think about what is not shown. Where are the factories and train stations of the industrial revolution? Was this an attempt to escape from modernity, or a genuine fascination with Europe's pre-industrial past? To understand it better, we might compare the image with other contemporary depictions of urban life.