Artwork
Sketches at Home and Abroad: Lyons Church of St. Hezier, October 1832
Sketches at Home and Abroad: Lyons Church of St. Hezier, October 1832 is a print by the Romanticist artist James Duffield Harding. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created in 1832, this lithographic print records a bustling urban scene centered on a prominent church tower in Lyon.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1832, this lithographic print records a bustling urban scene centered on a prominent church tower in Lyon. The composition captures pedestrians in period attire, a horse‑drawn carriage, and a café sign, offering a snapshot of everyday life in early nineteenth‑century France. The work is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes the soaring spire of the church with the lively street below, illustrating the coexistence of sacred architecture and ordinary activity. Figures converse, dogs rest, and a café under a dark awning invites passersby, suggesting a moment of communal interaction within a historic European setting.
Technique & Style
The artist employed tinted paper and opaque watercolor washes, a method characteristic of his broader practice. These media allow for subtle tonal variations while preserving fine architectural detail, rendering the stone façades, window panes, and streetlamps with clarity. The approach anticipates later landscape and urban sketch traditions.
History & Provenance
British painter and lithographer James Duffield Harding produced the work during a travel itinerary that took him to Lyon in October 1832. After changing hands over the ensuing decades, the print entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains accessible for study and public viewing.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Duffield Harding (1798 – 4 December 1863) was a British landscape painter, lithographer and author of drawing manuals. His use of tinted papers and opaque paints in watercolour proved influential.
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