This lecture by Dr. Matthew Whyte turns to London during a period of extraordinary expansion, industrial transformation and global influence. As the largest city in Europe, London becomes a place where fog, smoke, commerce and empire reshape how people experience urban life. Artists such as J. M. W. Turner, John Constable and James McNeill Whistler respond to this environment by focusing on atmosphere, light and fleeting perception rather than fixed narrative.

The city itself becomes a subject of modern visual experimentation. Musical references such as Handel’s Messiah and Elgar’s orchestral writing help situate London as both a centre of public culture and a city negotiating modern identity.