Paris; Rue Vivienne

Despite an avowed preference for his native English scenery, David Cox followed the example of artists like J. M. W. Turner and traveled to Continental Europe in 1829. Paris was his last stop before returning home. This image of Parisian urban life displays the artist’s virtuoso brushwork, particularly in the brilliant reflections in the water running through the gutters. To create this image, the artist both added and removed material from the sheet. Most of the elements are formed by brushing on wet pigment. However, some of the highlights result from blotting away color with an absorbent material. The whites in the figures were created by scraping with the end of a brush handle or knife point (2022).