A Perspective View of the City Hall in New York, Taken from Wall Street 1791 - 1793

Editor: Here we have Cornelius Tiebout’s “A Perspective View of the City Hall in New York, Taken from Wall Street,” created between 1791 and 1793. It's a print, an etching and engraving, of a cityscape… I’m struck by the sense of nascent civic pride, but it also feels a little…stiff, maybe? What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a careful construction of symbols meant to convey stability and progress. Look at the City Hall itself – the classical architecture evokes the Roman Republic, a clear attempt to link the new American republic with the ideals of democracy and order. Note how Wall Street is not merely a location, but a signifier of economic strength. Editor: So, it’s not just a building; it's about visually constructing an identity. But who was this identity *for*? Curator: Precisely! Consider the audience. Who was intended to see this print? And what message were they supposed to receive? Perhaps merchants, landowners, and civic leaders—those with a vested interest in the city’s success. The print normalizes, making real and permanent the architecture of power. Editor: The presence of the church suggests a relationship between secular and religious authority…is that intentional? Curator: Certainly, it highlights the foundational role religion played within their construction of citizenship. Are you seeing a continuity with earlier prints that celebrated leaders as heroic and godlike? Editor: Yes, I see how it visually anchors New York’s identity with this particular, very deliberate view. It makes you wonder about other viewpoints, like those excluded in Tiebout's image. Thank you! Curator: It is this dance of symbols that allows cultural values to take hold. Keep looking; the past is never silent!