Rise of the Cities

''Rise Of The Cities'' depicts industry booming and the power balance shifting from rural to urban in 19th-century Britain, while its artists grapple with the changes.

Some attempted to capture the poverty and squalor caused by rapid urbanization. Architect Fiona Sinclair examines Alexander Thomson's working-class housing in Glasgow, while Jeremy Deller spotlights William Morris’ efforts to bring nature back into Victorian homes through his hand-crafted wallpaper designs. Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson reflects on the inspiration of J.M.W. Turner, arguably the first environmental artist.

Commerce influenced art, but individuality thrived. Penry Williams demonstrated how to find beauty in an industrial world with "Cyfarthfa Ironworks Interior at Night." Amrou Al-Kadhi delves into the sin and punishment evident in Oscar Wilde's plays and poems, while Shani Rhys James uncovers the silent rage in Sickert's "Camden Town Nudes."