St. Eustache, Paris
David Cox British
Not on view
Cox painted this important late Gothic church during his first visit to Paris in the summer of 1829. After spraining his ankle, the artist hired a cab to sketch from, stationing himself here on the corner of Rue Trainée and Rue du Four—buildings shown lining the street at right no longer exist. The church had been ransacked during the French Revolution and its west entrance facade remains pockmarked by artillery. Cox shows figures emerging from the open door, seated on the steps, and moving down the street. Swiftly applied swags of watercolor at lower right indicate drapery hanging below shop signs. Visually, the image offers a delightful interplay between architectural structure, warm late afternoon light, and city life.
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