St. Dunstans Fleet Street, plate 23 from Original Views of London as It Is 1842

Thomas Shotter Boys made this print titled, St. Dunstans Fleet Street, sometime in the early to mid-19th century. It gives us a glimpse into the dynamic street life of London at that time. Here, the artist creates meaning by contrasting the static architecture of the church with the hustle and bustle of commerce. The workers in the foreground, the horse-drawn carts and the gathering crowd, are visual codes, indicative of London's growing economic power. Fleet Street, in particular, was the center of the printing industry, hence the stacks of paper being unloaded. Understanding the social conditions that shaped the production of art is key. Here, Boys captures a moment in time during the early industrial revolution. The historian might look to sources such as trade records, maps, newspapers, and census data to fully appreciate the image. We might reflect on the meaning of art as something that is always contingent on social context.