The Street, Chelsea Embankment 1888 - 1889

Theodore Roussel made this etching, "The Street, Chelsea Embankment," showing a view of London around the turn of the twentieth century. The composition has a snapshot quality, with the forms of the buildings and trees seeming to emerge naturally from the scene rather than being carefully arranged. Roussel was a French-born artist, working in Britain during a time of rapid urban change. The etching captures the energy of the busy street scene, but it also shows elements of the urban environment that were fast disappearing, such as the horse-drawn cart. Here, the News of the World headlines remind us of the cultural and social changes taking place. The establishment of institutions like public libraries and news agencies supported the spread of information. To truly understand this etching, we need to do further research into social and institutional histories of London at the time, including popular media, such as newspapers. This way, we can understand the social role that art plays and the politics of imagery.