St. James Palace, plate ten from Original Views of London as It Is 1842

Editor: Here we have Thomas Shotter Boys' "St. James Palace, plate ten from Original Views of London as It Is," a lithograph and watercolor print from 1842. It has such a charming, almost idealized, atmosphere. The texture of the stone buildings are beautiful, but how would you interpret this work? Curator: Notice the orthogonals of the architecture; how they direct the eye. The lines converging create an illusion of depth, yet simultaneously flatten the picture plane, emphasizing the artwork’s intrinsic two-dimensionality. Do you see how Boys uses contrasting textures - the smoothness of the sky against the intricate brickwork - to achieve balance? Editor: Yes, the balance between the soft sky and the brick buildings create tension. But it also uses some storytelling details to highlight daily London life. Do those details hold less weight from a Formalist perspective? Curator: Genre elements are subservient to the structural components, young scholar. Focus on how line and form function here. Consider, for instance, the interplay between rectilinear forms in the building’s facade and the curvilinear shapes of the figures in the foreground. Do you see the dialogue that has been created? Editor: Now that you mention it, the rounded figures do push forward within a grid-like landscape. It changes the entire reading of the piece. Curator: Precisely! The spatial relations generate dynamic interest independent of representational concerns. It transcends mere documentation. Editor: I see that now. Focusing on these contrasts brings new attention to the artist's work. Curator: Agreed. Dissecting the visual language helps in understanding how an image achieves its effect, beyond simple depiction.