Guérin received many commissions mainly through his involvement with architects and urban planners, an association that began in 1902 when he rendered drawings for Charles F. McKim, famed designer of Boston’s Public Library, for the Senate Parks Commission in Washington, DC. This was soon followed by 1907’s Plan for Chicago, in which he completed bird’s-eye views of Daniel Burnham’s and Edward Bennett’s proposals for the city. In these endeavors and others, Guérin’s work enabled the general public to visualize the architects’ proposals, bringing two-dimensional blueprints to life. Yet Guérin also applied his talents to existing buildings and created drawings of famous structures and landmarks for publications, such as this view of Faneuil Hall featured in Samuel M. Crothers’ article, “Outdoor Boston,” in The Century Magazine. The artist’s rendition of the cobble-stoned promenade and 1742 building, set against the flurry of activity at the turn of the twentieth century, clearly depicts the city’s successful dichotomy of embracing both historic preservation and economic progress.

More information about this painting...

Provenance:

Collection, Boston, Massachusetts
To collection, Beverly, Massachusetts, 2006
To private collection, Texas, 2006
To collection, Boston, Massachusetts, 2015

Literature:

“Outdoor Boston,” by Samuel M. Crothers, The Century Magazine, July 1907, Vol. LXXIV, No. 3, pp. 441-449, illustrated p. 446