La Chapelle de l'Institut, Paris

Boys employs the lithographic process to achieve fine detail in architectural elements such as column carvings and the dome’s curvature. His background in watercolour informs the subtle gradations of sky and ground, giving the scene a muted, atmospheric quality while maintaining the crispness of print.

Created in 1839, the work reflects the period’s growing interest in documenting Parisian architecture through print media. As a watercolourist turned lithographer, Boys contributed to the dissemination of urban imagery, and this print has circulated among collections that specialize in 19th‑century French prints.

The chapel forms part of the Institut de France, an institution that gathered France’s leading academies. During the early 19th century, such edifices were symbols of cultural authority, and artists like Boys recorded them to satisfy both scholarly interest and public curiosity about the capital’s built environment.