Cranstone, Lefevre F. South Seventh Street, Richmond, No Date

Information

Lefevre J. Cranstone was born in England and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1845 to 1865. In the years before the Civil War in the United States he traveled as a landscape artist and sketched in the Midwest in 1859–60. He was recognized for his etchings as well as his watercolors.

• South Seventh Street, Richmond, n.d.
• 5 1/2” x 13 1/4”
• Indiana Historical Society
• Keywords: paintings, urban landscapes, watercolor and pencil
• Subjects: outdoors, winter, streets, buildings, people, children, hats, sleighs, domestic animals, trees

The artist has documented what appears to be a relatively new housing addition in the winter season. The gray-blues in the sky emphasize the wintry atmosphere; there is also a distinctive light coming from the sky. Notice how small the trees are and how they have been wrapped, which is usually done only to newly planted trees. Valuable historical details include people’s clothing and modes of transportation.

Some Points To Consider

• Explain to students that the artist attempted to document what he saw. Ask students to list the various ways his painting describes Richmond, Indiana, in the 1860s (for example, architecture, weather, clothing, and outdoor activity). (Art 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.2.2, 4.4.1)