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Lot Essay
During the early 1830s, Boys was travelling in Europe gathering material for his Picturesque Architecture in Paris, Ghent, Rouen, etc. which was published in 1839. In the summer of 1830, he was in Brussels where he became caught up in the Belgian Revolution.
He produced various watercolours of Brussels at this time but few of them reflect the turmoil which must have, for a short period surrounded the artist (see, J. Roundell, Thomas Shotter Boys, London, 1974, p. 76) . There is a another watercolour of the Hotel de Bellevue and the Café de l'Amitié seen from the Park, (sold in these Rooms, 10 July 1984, lot 251) which also bears testament to the recent uprising, although in the latter it is only really hinted at with the inclusion of a cannon and some slight damage to one of the buildings. The present watercolour refers more directly to the turbulence which Boys found himself caught up in, with the badly pitted stonework, the shattered balustrade, the shutter hanging off one of the windows and the remains of a carriage in the foreground. However, this too is tempered by the serenity of the vista receding into the distance to the right and the pairs of figures going about their daily business.
The Café de L' Amitié was the main meeting place for politicians, writers and artists in Brussels at the time and adjoining it was Prince Frederick's palace.
He produced various watercolours of Brussels at this time but few of them reflect the turmoil which must have, for a short period surrounded the artist (see, J. Roundell, Thomas Shotter Boys, London, 1974, p. 76) . There is a another watercolour of the Hotel de Bellevue and the Café de l'Amitié seen from the Park, (sold in these Rooms, 10 July 1984, lot 251) which also bears testament to the recent uprising, although in the latter it is only really hinted at with the inclusion of a cannon and some slight damage to one of the buildings. The present watercolour refers more directly to the turbulence which Boys found himself caught up in, with the badly pitted stonework, the shattered balustrade, the shutter hanging off one of the windows and the remains of a carriage in the foreground. However, this too is tempered by the serenity of the vista receding into the distance to the right and the pairs of figures going about their daily business.
The Café de L' Amitié was the main meeting place for politicians, writers and artists in Brussels at the time and adjoining it was Prince Frederick's palace.