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The image depicts a busy street market with people around stalls. In the distance, there is a grand architectural structure with tall spires, likely a cathedral. The horizon is raised, and the gothic spires stand out against the sky. The brushwork is loose and impressionistic, capturing the essence of the scene. The color palette is predominantly muted and cool, with blues and grays dominating. Light hints at a soft glow, adding accents to the scene.
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The image depicts a busy street market with people around stalls. In the distance, there is a grand architectural structure with tall spires, likely a cathedral. The horizon is raised, and the gothic spires stand out against the sky. The brushwork is loose and impressionistic, capturing the essence of the scene. The color palette is predominantly muted and cool, with blues and grays dominating. Light hints at a soft glow, adding accents to the scene.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Market Square before a Cathedral

Luigi Aloys François Joseph Loir

Date
1870s/1880s
Medium
watercolor and gouache over charcoal on dark blue wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 38.9 x 28.3 cm (15 5/16 x 11 1/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2013.196.1
Credit line
Ruth and Jacob Kainen Memorial Acquisition Fund
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • Cathedral
  • Sky
  • Figures
Provenance

(Jean-Luc Baroni, Ltd., London, by 2010); Mr. and Mrs. James T. Dyke, Little Rock, AR, 2011; purchased by NGA, 2013.

Inscription

lower right in black ink: LOIR LUIGI

NGA object ID 153346. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.