Saint Paul's Chapel, about 1812 1908

Editor: This is Sidney L. Smith's "Saint Paul's Chapel, about 1812," a print with delicate lines. It feels so serene, almost idealized. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, look at the context. The "Society of Iconophiles" commissioned this image in 1908. Why create an image of St. Paul's Chapel almost a century later? What public role does this image serve? Editor: Perhaps to reinforce a sense of history, or civic pride? Curator: Precisely. It's not just a picture of a building; it's a statement about preserving a particular vision of the past and of social order. Editor: That really changes my perception of the print. I see it now as more than just a pretty picture. Curator: Exactly! Art is never neutral; it is shaped by its time and place, and is actively participating in society.