What the Artist Shows

1
What the Artist Shows

• Steam Railroads in Art
• 1750-1850
• NEH Summer Seminar
• Aspects of the Industrial Revolution in Britain
• University of Nottingham 2006
• Nancy Sieck, Petaluma High School, California

2
What the Artist Shows

• Railroads were originally built to haul heavy
  cargo from Mines and Foundries to canals and
  markets.
• Passengers took joy-riding excursions behind
  steam locomotives as early as 1821.
• From about 1829, passengers began to make up a
  larger part of the railroads business.
• In order to promote their passenger business,
  railroad companies often had well known artists
  paint commemorative scenes showing the wonders of
  steam travel.
• When rail travel became more commonplace,
  publications such as Punch satirized the
  railroads growing importance in their pages.

3
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• The two young women are mirror-images of each
  other, they wear grey satin gowns and identical
  hats with jaunty cockades are perched in their
  laps.
• Motion is indicated by the backward sway of the
  tassel on the window shade. The seaside can be
  seen outside the window of the carriage.
• A basket of fruit and a bunch of roses are in the
  foreground corners.
• One woman reads, while the other dozes

Travelling Companions. 1862. Augustus Egg.
Birmingham Art Museum.
4
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• The idyllic scenery along with the elegance of
  the young womens dresses indicates wealth. This
  leads the viewer to surmise that rail passengers
  are upper class, or at least in comfortable
  financial circumstances. The light comes from
  behind the viewer casting no shadow on the young
  women, making them appear timeless and carefree,
  as well as reflecting off the rich fabric of
  their gowns.
• Only the tassel sways, indicating that rail
  travel is more comfortable than road travel. This
  is also evidenced by the un-rumpled slumber of
  the young woman on the left.
• One woman reads, the other slumbers, perhaps
  indicating the characters of industry and
  indolence.
• This painting may have been intended to show
  prospective investors that rail travel was the
  way wealthy people got about in comfort.

Travelling Companions. 1862. Augustus Egg.
Birmingham Art Museum.
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What the Artist Shows
Objective View

• The train just at the low horizon blends in with
  the heavy clouds, making it difficult to see.
• Between the clouds is a bright quarter moon.
• Shaggy fell ponies appear startled by the train
  and one races through the tall grass in the
  foreground, while the others merely throw up
  their heads to watch.
• There is a gold grassy area in the foreground of
  the painting on which a dark pony stands.

The Night Train. David Cox. 1869.
Watercolor. Birmingham City Art Museums
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What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• The low horizon and the speeding train anchors
  the heavy clouds, drawing the viewers eye from
  left to right.
• A quarter moon balances the top third of the
  painting, allowing the clouds to disappear into
  mist.
• Bright light from the moon throws strong shadows
  behind the pony in the foreground, indicating his
  importance as onlooker to progress and perhaps
  his obsolescence.
• The wind in the grass, the ponies flight, the
  scudding clouds and the rocketing train all
  indicate speed and movement.
• Taken together, the painting suggests that speed
  is of the essence, and mere horses cannot keep
  up.

The Night Train. David Cox. 1869.
Watercolor. Birmingham City Art Museums
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What the Artist Shows
Objective View

• The Older man in the rear of the compartment
  slumbers while the younger man and woman talk
  flirtatiously.
• Both men are well dressed, as is the young woman.
• The shade is open and the swinging tassel
  indicates motion.
• The carriage is opulent, hence the painting title
  First Class The Meeting.

First Class. 1854. Daivid Solomon.
8
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• This painting, originally done in 1854, showing a
  young man flirting with a young woman while her
  father sleeps, caused a good deal of social
  controversy. It was re-painted in 1855 showing
  the young man and the father talking no flirting
  involved.
• The fathers face, sound asleep, is in deep
  shadow with his long hair falling about his
  shoulders in an old-fashioned style. He appears
  unconcerned and relaxed.
• All the trappings of speed are apparent in this
  painting the swinging tassel, the flashing
  scenery, and the spirited conversation of the
  young people. There is a seductive air to the
  interplay.
• The artists intention was to make rail travel
  attractive to the young and wealthy, as well as
  promoting rail travel as a sound financial
  investment to prospective shareholders . This
  painting has a similar intent to modern
  automobile advertising.

First Class. 1854. Daivid Solomon.
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What the Artist Shows
In Addition

• This is the second version of First Class the
  Meeting, painted in 1855 by Solomon.
• Much less evocative of elegance and youth than
  the first version, the artist has chosen much
  lighter colors to evoke brightness and
  respectability.
• The young man and the father appear to be doing
  business in the first class carriage. Their dress
  and demeanor is much more modern than the
  previous painting. The young man is no longer in
  a languid pose
• This time the young woman is very definitely not
  part of the discussion, indeed, she appears very
  timid in the young mans presence.
• The difference in lighting is almost more
  important here than the change in positions of
  the father and daughter. The entire painting is
  much lighter the feeling less clandestine.

First Class the Meeting. 1855. David Solomon
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What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Punch Cartoon etching showing a Gentleman about
  to board a train.
• Guard is showing the gentleman his carriage,
  which is already quite full.
• Other people on the platform going about their
  business carrying parcels and baggage.

Perfectly Dweadful. Punch. 27 September 1856,
page 124
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What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• Punch cartoons were intended to satirize the
  Establishment and social issues, this one is no
  exception.
• Passengers already crowd the railcar, and the
  foppish gent is dismayed at the prospect of
  traveling with them. He finds the situation
  Perfecly Dwedful
• Here the British class system is in full view for
  Punches ridicule, complete with upper-class lisp
  and contrast of the passengers dress.
• Punch intimates that the lower classes are now
  encouraged by the rail line owners to ride the
  trains, but the upper classes still consider the
  trains their own private kingdoms.

Perfectly Dweadful. Punch. 27 September 1856,
page 124
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What the Artist Shows
Objective View

• Etching of the third class section of an
  underground station, dark in tone, with bright
  lights casting shadows on the platform.
• Vanishing point at right center of work.
• Horizon equally divides the scene into top and
  bottom.
• Locomotive and passenger car on the right track,
  facing the viewer, another train is going in the
  opposite direction.
• Both platforms are crowded with working men
  getting on and off trains.

Gustave Doré's illustration of third-class
passengers at a station" from London A
Pilgrimage (1872 ).
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What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• Not apparently to entice investors to a project
  or promote rail travel, Dore has given us an
  extremely photographic representation of public
  transit in London.
• The etching is dark because the Underground is
  just that underground. The viewers eye is drawn
  to the right rear of the work by the arched light
  openings and the diminishing perspective of the
  trains.
• Third class passengers, mostly working men, crowd
  the platforms- indicating the egalitarian nature
  of rail travel.
• Passengers are in overall perspective to the
  trains and the station,not excessively large or
  small, lending the sense of reality that is
  present in all of Dores work.

Gustave Doré's illustration of third-class
passengers at a station" from London A
Pilgrimage (1872 )
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What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Train on the viaduct in the background of a
  London neighborhood.
• Very dark etching, with a lighter spot in the
  center and the arches of another viaduct framing
  the middle ground.
• The row of houses curves around to the left
  center to end below the viaduct
• Tenement houses are the back-to-back variety,
  showing the yards and wash on the lines.
• There is a very dark chimney in the right
  foreground.

Over the city by railway by Gustave Doré from
London A Pilgrimage. 1872.
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What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• On the viaduct in the background, the speeding
  train blends into the dark, smoky sky.
• The curve of the houses is a repeated element
  reflecting the viaduct arches, the house windows,
  the sag of the clotheslines.
• Light coming into the scene from the middle right
  highlights the tenement yards and picks out the
  sooty laundry.
• Foreground is dark and the arch seems to close in
  on the scene, making it almost claustrophobic.The
  black chimney signifies the pervasiveness of
  modern industry.
• The asymmetrical curve of the foreground arch
  adds an urgency to the etching, perhaps repeating
  the sense of speed and depressing nature of life
  portrayed in the work.
• Doré depicts the way railways cut into the heart
  of the urban environments, creating dark, bleak
  neighbourhoods.

Over the city by railway by Gustave Doré from
London A Pilgrimage. 1872.
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What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Illustration for sheet music of a contemporary
  popular song.
• Black uniformed guard centered on station
  platform.
• Rail carriage inside station loading passengers
  and baggage.
• Lithograph tinted bright colors.

Sheet Music.The Railway Guard, or the train to
the North. Spellman Collection, University of
Reading Library.
17
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• Sheet music was a popular genre for commercial
  art in the 1800s, and publishers often sold their
  music based on the illustration more than the
  tune involved.
• The guard, with his robust, erect bearing and
  full manly beard evokes an image of strength and
  competence. Exactly the image the railroads
  wanted to project. The guard is in contrast to
  the porter and his heavy burden in the
  background.
• Brightly painted green coaches contrast with the
  yellow of the platform, and the red of the ladys
  traveling costume and the nameplate on the coach
  add a touch of brilliance to the scene.
• Lofty glass roof over the station adds a sense of
  protection, and the smoke from the waiting engine
  conveys power.

Sheet Music.The Railway Guard, or the train to
the North. Spellman Collection, University of
Reading Library.
18
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• The original Euston Station, London, dominates
  this scene.
• The station is designed as a Greek temple.
• People and carriages fill the foreground area.

19
What the Artist Shows

• The Original Doric columns of Euston Station,
  London, designed by Phillip Hardwick for the
  London and Birmingham Railway in 1834, were
  intended to impress investors and passengers
  alike.
• The main arch, imposing in itself, represented a
  new way of entering the city and drew a forceful
  analogy between contemporary England and Ancient
  Rome.
• While the station was, indeed, very large, the
  artists forced perspective using very small
  characters makes it seem even more imposing.
• All the people in the foreground appear in a
  hurry speed seems to be diminished and turned
  to awe as the viewer moves back toward the
  imposing grandeur of the station.

20
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• George Stephenson on the cover of British
  Workman magazine.
• Locomotive engine appears above Stephenson.
• Two railway workers appear on either side of the
  portrait.
• Smaller vignettes of industry spawned by the
  railways are in circular frames at the bottom
  corners.
• A story titled The wonderful Railway Explorer
  appears directly below Stephensons picture.

21
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• George Stephenson was a very powerful man, and
  this magazine cover portrays him a very positive
  light.
• The portrait is enclosed in a round glass-like
  sphere, much like a crystal ball. In the artists
  view Stephenson and his railroads railroads are
  the future.
• The two workmen appear strong, happy, and
  productive. They are surrounded by their tools.
• Both the smaller pictures show positive aspects
  of industry brought about by the power of steam
  engines, even though they are stationary.

22
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Jonah Ruskin is portrayed at the center of the
  drawing with a paint-tube body and palette knife
  sword.
• At the left side of the panel lies a railroad
  train-dragon.
• The Lady of the Lake appears to the right of
  Ruskin and her shield, labeled High Art, is on
  the ground a the center of the cartoon.
• To Ruskins right, Lake District scenery is
  reflected in the water.
• A white rose, with one petal missing, lies on the
  ground at Ruskins feet.

23
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• Not everyone was in favor of railroads expansion
  , as shown in this Punch cartoon.
• Artist and philosopher Jonah Ruskin was vocal
  about his opposition to the Liverpool and
  Manchester Railway lines expansion into
  Cumbrias Lake District.
• Ruskins popularity as an artist is evident in
  his portrayal with a paint-tube body.
• He has vanquished the locomotive-Dragon to save
  Britannias High Art.
• The mangled rose beneath Ruskins feet may
  actually be the red rose adopted by the L and M
  as their symbol of patronage.
• Ruskin was among those firmly against the
  expanding railroads, particularly what he termed
  the vandalism of homes and national treasures
  alike. Some of Ruskins more famous lines were
  written against railways and the accompanying
  frenetic pace of life. He said, A fool always
  wants to shorten space and time, a wise man wants
  to lengthen both.

24
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Passengers waiting for a train crowd the fore and
  middle grounds.
• The locomotive and rail cars are in the
  background.
• The entire upper half of the painting is the
  interior roof of the railroad station, composed
  of two massive arched bays.
• Departing passengers are well dressed, with a mix
  of men and women, and children.

The Railway Station, oil on canvas, 1862. William
Powell Frith.
25
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• The soaring interior roof of the railroad
  station, composed of two massive arched bays,
  suggesting a cathedral. The glass and the
  ironwork tracery at the rear of the station tell
  the viewer that this is Brunels elegant Victoria
  Station, even though it is not indicated in the
  title of the painting.
• The fine fabrics of the passengers dress and the
  elegance of the station indicates that they are
  people of wealth. These two facts would be
  impressive to prospective investors.
• Pleasant colors of the rich dress fabrics
  interspersed with the darker mens suits give
  viewers eyes stopping places in their travels
  back and forth through the painting.
• There is some confusion among the people farther
  in the background of the painting, where they
  appear to be rushing toward the cars in the
  foreground. They may be rushing toward wealth and
  privilege as well.

The Railway Station, oil on canvas, 1862. William
Powell Frith
26
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• The Stockport Viaduct, with the tiny silhouette
  of a Stephenson Locomotive steaming across it
  fills most of the top half of the painting.
• Smoke and steam from factories at the left side
  of the painting mingles with clouds and is split
  by the Suns rays.
• Two tall, dark factory smokestacks divide the
  painting in half vertically.
• Wagons and people crowd the roadway at the left
  of the painting.
• On the right, the river flows between the
  factories and warehouses.
• Shadow from the buildings and smoke on the left
  throws the middle ground into darkness.

27
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• The viaduct dominates the scene, and the train
  seems very small in contrast. The artists intent
  was to showcase the architecture of the viaduct.
  It forms a mighty presence, completely dominating
  the otherwise important river.
• Human and wagon traffic on the road at the left
  is dwarfed by the dark mass of the new factories,
  their smoke, and the industry they and the train
  represent.
• One of the first things the viewer notices is the
  shafts of sunlight diagonally pointing to the
  factories, and to the future.
• The dark vertical smoke stacks are the artists
  Gods righteous finger pointing the way to
  Heaven/Redemption.

28
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Huge, multi-domed building dominates the lower
  half of the picture.
• The terrain beyond the building to the left side
  of the picture is flat and open.
• Pale blue sky with high, thin clouds.
• There is a large park in the foreground with
  trees, fountains and people.
• British flag flies from the far left-hand side of
  the building.
• People are in both the middle and foreground.
  Some are dressed in European clothing, and others
  appear to be foreign.
• There is no indication of industry or a city.

Great Indian Peninsula Railroad Terminal and
Offices, Bombay. 1876. Alex Haig. Oil on Canvas.
29
What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• This is a typical commemorative paining and
  does not necessarily show things as they were.
  The open park shown in front is actually a
  crowded market square with throngs of vendors and
  traffic of all sorts. Very few Europeans would
  have been strolling near the station.
• The main rail station in Bombay, India was built
  in the decade between 1878-1888, to be a
  showpiece of the Raj. It replaced a wooden
  structure that dated from the early 1830s.
• The long, unseen rail platforms at the rear,
  ending in the mass of the station building
  suggest the floor plan of a secular Cathedral
  dedicated to progress and modernity.
• Notice the abundance of glass, and the Rose
  Windows at the front of both large wings.

Great Indian Peninsula Railroad Terminal and
Offices, Bombay. 1876. Alex Haig. Oil on Canvas.
30
What the Artist Shows
Objective view

• Gigantic single-span arch dominates the upper
  two-thirds of the etching.
• There is a large glass and ironwork partition
  hanging from the roof at the far end of the
  station.
• Light is diffuse, but quite strong in the center
  of the work. A train is seen approaching the
  station in the background.
• Three groups of men appear in the foreground, one
  of whom is not dressed in work clothes.
• There is a pool of light at the center of the
  etching, throwing shadows on the ground.
• Freight cars are on some of the railroad tracks
  inside the station.

St. Pancras Station. c1868
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What the Artist Shows
Analysis

• The arched roof at St Pancras Station, London,
  was a daring design. Single span had never been
  this large, but Barlow designed the iron
  structure to be able to support its own weight .
  Note the point to which the ironwork comes at the
  peak and the lightness of the topmost parts, as
  compared to the heavier bottom parts.
• The brick side walls are not structural supports
  Scott designed them to appease the Victorian
  sensibility, but they are really windscreens.
  The roof itself was constructed of glass panes,
  reducing the weight and allowing the space to be
  flooded with natural light.
• Originally, rolling stock was stored in the open
  train shed, but gradually rail traffic dictated
  that the space be dedicated to additional
  platforms.
• The groups of workmen at the center of the work,
  and the well-dressed businessmen at the right are
  close to real-size. The station roof, still
  standing after all these years, is immense.
• This etching was most likely an encouraging view
  for investors, an inducement to travel, and a
  celebration of the stations daring architecture.

St. Pancras Station. c1868