

Curatorial Narrative Old Annapolis, Francis Street, painted in 1876 by Francis Blackwell Mayer, occupies a pivotal position within the development of American landscape painting during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Characterized by an expressive impasto technique that imbues the canvas with a tactile quality, Mayer’s work recalls the mannerist brushwork of the Italian Renaissance, while its subject matter a depiction of the colonial-era architecture and rustic tranquility of Annapolis speaks to a nostalgia for a bygone era.When scaled to 59×44 inches, Old Annapolis, Francis Street assumes an imposing presence within a luxury interior environment. The earthy palette, comprising reds, browns, greens, and blues, exerts a calm atmospheric weight that is amplified by the soft, diffused lighting that enhances the textures of the composition. The chromatic structure of the painting with warm tones dominating the foreground
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