Pencil sketch of a street with arcaded buildings

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This pencil sketch is built around a row of arcaded buildings, where a covered walkway of arches runs along the street and shelters pedestrians from sun and rain. Arcades were a familiar feature of city streets in many parts of Europe and Latin America, and they gave public life a sheltered, sociable character. Its place among the theater images suggests the artist may have been drawn to the street as a setting near a playhouse, though the record does not confirm that. Looking closely at the hand-drawn line work shows how the artist handled the repeating arches and the light falling beneath them.

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