Who painted Street Scene?

Street Scene was painted by Gustave Doré in 1854.

Where can I see Street Scene?

Street Scene is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Street Scene?

Street Scene is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Street Scene

Gustave Doré , 1854

Street Scene is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Gustave Doré. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Gustave Doré’s 1854 lithograph, titled *Street Scene*, captures a bustling urban thoroughfare on wove paper. The composition centers on two women amid a crowd of elegantly dressed figures, their attire and posture suggesting a moment of social interaction within a lively city environment.

Subject & Meaning

The central figures—a veiled woman with dark hair clasping her hands and a second woman wrapped in a fur shawl—anchor the scene, while surrounding gentlemen in tall top hats and long coats convey the rhythm of mid‑nineteenth‑century street life. The work reflects contemporary interest in public spaces as sites of fashion, commerce, and social observation.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, Doré employs swift, sketch‑like lines that convey movement and the density of the crowd. The use of wove paper allows for fine detail in the figures’ clothing and facial expressions, while the overall handling emphasizes immediacy over polished finish, characteristic of Doré’s illustrative approach.

History & Provenance

Created in 1854, the print forms part of Doré’s early forays into urban genre scenes, preceding his later fame as an illustrator of literary works. The piece has circulated among collectors of 19th‑century prints and is documented in several museum catalogues as a representative example of his lithographic output.