Discovery of Paris

Stephen Duffy

Some of the finest views of Paris ever painted were produced by British artists working in watercolor in the early nineteenth century. With the ending of many years of war, first at the Peace of Amiens of 1802-03 and then after the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, Paris was an irresistible attraction for thousands of British tourists, among whom were many painters. There was an unprecedented interest in views of the city, and artists, such as Girtin, Bonington, Turner and David Cox, responded to this enthusiasm with an extraordinary range of works, from simple pencil views to the most elaborate watercolors, some for sale and exhibition, but many also for engraving as illustrations in guides and souvenir publications. This catalogue, accompanying a major exhibition at the Wallace Collection, discusses and illustrates more than sixty works by over twenty artists. (Exhibition: the...