Mansion House, Cheapside, plate one from Original Views of London as It Is

Art Historical Context

Thomas Shotter Boys created this hand-colored lithograph in 1842 as the first plate in his celebrated series *Original Views of London as It Is*. A pioneering British artist in the medium, Boys used lithography—a relatively new reproductive technique—to capture the city’s architecture with remarkable precision and atmosphere. The hand-coloring adds subtle warmth and depth, transforming a printed image into a vibrant record of Victorian London. The scene depicts Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor, set along the historic thoroughfare of Cheapside. Produced during a period of rapid urban growth, the print reflects a desire to document London’s changing cityscape with both accuracy and artistic sensitivity. Boys’ careful attention to light, texture, and daily activity invites viewers to experience the bustling heart of the metropolis as it appeared nearly two centuries ago. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of prints and drawings, this work exemplifies how 19th-century lithography bridged fine art and popular illustration, preserving an invaluable visual history of one of Europe’s great capitals.

About the Artist

Thomas Shotter Boys · 1803–1874

Thomas Shotter Boys was born on 2 January 1803 in Pentonville, London, and received his first professional training as an apprentice to the engraver George Cooke. When his apprenticeship concluded he crossed the Channel to Paris, a move that would transform his artistic direction entirely. There he encountered Richard Parkes Bonington, the brilliant English watercolourist whose fresh, luminous ren...