The book series Picturesque America described and illustrated the most interesting and impressive sights in the United States, both natural and manmade. Henry Fenn—creator of this frontispiece for the second volume—was the most popular artist featured in the series. This view of a Washington, D.C., cityscape shows well-dressed citizens strolling the grounds of the elegant Capitol, putting the newly-developed sophistication of the United States in the foreground.
