Foggy Morning on the Thames 1875

James Hamilton captured this scene of Foggy Morning on the Thames using oil on canvas. Hamilton, born in Ireland, emigrated to the United States, so while we don't know the exact date of the piece, it's creation involves movement across the Atlantic world. Hamilton’s painting evokes a sense of the sublime, where industrial progress meets the overwhelming power of nature. It compels us to consider the social costs of this progress. The steamboat, a symbol of modernity, belches out thick smoke, obscuring the sun and enveloping the scene in a melancholic haze. The Thames, historically a vital artery of commerce and empire, is here rendered as an almost ghostly space, reflecting the anxieties of a rapidly changing world. What feelings does this painting evoke in you? Does it fill you with wonder, dread, or perhaps a mix of both?