This watercolor painting is by Walter Paris. The wide canvas captures the width of Pennsylvania Avenue looking toward the Capitol building, visible in the distance. Born in Britain, Paris became an American citizen later in life. He was trained as an architect in addition to creating watercolors. Two of his paintings of Washington, D.C. are in the White House Collection.

A quiet, pastoral landscape of 19th century Washington, D.C., this painting by William MacLeod shows an artist, perhaps MacLeod himself, sitting in the foreground, sketching the panoramic view in front of him. Farm land stretches out over most of the canvas with the expanding city of Washington pinpointing the horizon. The city is distinguished by the Potomac River just below the horizon line and the small markings of the Capitol, the Navy Yard, and the Smithsonian Institution Building. To the left, grouped together, are the incomplete Washington Monument, the Treasury Building and the White House. This is an early work of American artist MacLeod, who would go on to be the first curator of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

This painting by Carl Calusd (sometimes credited as Charles Calusd) is a seascape and cityscape of the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of welcome for immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. This Impressionist-style piece shows the Statue of Liberty set against the backdrop of lower Manhattan, with ships large and small around her in the water. Calusd was known for maritime paintings. The painting was a gift presented to the White House in 1909 by Hayozoun Hohannes Topakyan of the Persian consul in New York.

This painting of the Brooklyn Bridge in winter is by Guy C. Wiggins, an American Impressionist who often painted New York City and its five boroughs. Wiggins' painting captures a narrow, snowy, cityscape of the Brooklyn Bridge looming high over its Brooklyn neighborhood with views of the East River and Manhattan in the distance. The White House Historical Association provided partial funding for its donation to the White House Collection.

This painting of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is by Danish-born Joachim Ferdinand Richardt (often referred to as Ferdinand Richardt). The landscape that unfolds outside the hall captures the hustle and bustle of everyday summer life at the intersection of Sixth and Chestnut Streets. Richardt, who emigrated to the United States as an adult, was known for his attention to detail, evident in the activity at the intersection.

This painting of the Brooklyn Bridge in winter is by Guy C. Wiggins, an American Impressionist who often painted New York City and its five boroughs. Wiggins' painting captures a narrow, snowy, cityscape of the Brooklyn Bridge looming high over its Brooklyn neighborhood with views of the East River and Manhattan in the distance. Three of his paintings are in the White House Collection. The White House Historical Association provided partial funding for its donation to the White House Collection.

This landscape of the Thames River in London, England is by renowned American painter James McNeill Whistler. Whistler captures a dark, gloomy night on the Thames with a far-off cityscape barely visible in the distance. It is possible this cityscape is Battersea, a district in south London, and that Whistler was painting from across the Thames in Chelsea. The tower at center is likely Morgan's Folly, an old clock tower.

This watercolor painting by Anne-Marguerite-Henriette Rouillé de Marigny Hyde de Neuville, baronne (more commonly known as Anne-Marguerite Hyde de Neuville) shows a view of the corner of F Street and 15th Street in Washington, D.C. At the time, Hyde de Neuville lived at this intersection and painted the scene from her own window. The building on the right is Bank Metropol and the building on the left is the U.S. Treasury building, which was badly damaged during the War of 1812, rebuilt by architect James Hoban, and eventually destroyed by fire in 1833. Hyde de Neuville, who was born in France, lived in the United States for several years and was married to Jean-Guillaume, Baron Hyde de Neuville, the French minister. The artist resided at Decatur House on Lafayette Square (1821-1822) and her watercolors provide glimpses into the life of the new capital in the Federalist era in the early 1800s.

This oil painting by G. Cooke, also known as George Cooke, depicts the City of Washington as it appeared in 1833. The canvas shows a wide view of Washington from across the river, including the Navy Yard, the Capitol building and the White House as key landmarks within the city. Born in Maryland, Cooke began painting full-time around 1820, gradually gaining a reputation for landscapes. He studied under Charles Bird King in Washington.

This painting by Nicolino Calyo shows the rear of the Merchant's Exchange Building in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to the building, the scene contains multiple small, fascinating details of the street in front of the building, including three horses caught in mid-gallop rounding a bend and two dogs chasing one another. Calyo was a gifted landscape painter who was born in Italy but left in the early 1820s and immigrated to the United States in 1834. He has two paintings in the White House Collection.

This painting of the harbor at Canton, perhaps the province or city in southern China, was done by an unknown artist around 1847-1856. The bustling port is full of ships and cargo, with a building flying American and French flags, among others, shown on the right side.

This painting showing the Hong Kong harbor was done by an unknown artist around 1847-1856. This distant view includes large ships in the foreground, with the city itself clinging to the hills rising in the background of the canvas.

This painting is a view of Hong Kong by an unknown artist around 1853. This distant view includes large ships in the foreground, with the city itself clinging to the hills rising in the background of the canvas. The hills move in a chain across the canvas, receding to the left. It was acquired for the White House Collection by the White House Historical Association in 1973.

This painting is a view of the Chinese city of Macao, or Macau, by an unknown artist from around 1853. The waterfront curves to the left with neat buildings arranged along the water's edge, while numerous boats come and go and people walk along the road. It was acquired for the White House Collection by the White House Historical Association in 1973.