A Panoramic View of London, from the Tower of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster is a painting made in 1815 by Pierre Prévost, acquired by the Museum of London in July 2018. It is particularly significant for its depiction of the pre-1834 Palace of Westminster.
A Panoramic View of London, from the Tower of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Artist | Pierre Prévost |
Year | 1815 |
Medium | Watercolor, paper, canvas |
Subject | Panorama of Westminster |
Dimensions | 85 cm × 605 cm (2.79 ft × 19.85 ft) |
Location | Museum of London |
Owner | Museum of London |
Creation
editThe work uses watercolour and bodycolour over pencil, on paper, which has been mounted on canvass.[1] It is 605 centimetres (19.85 ft) long.[1] It is a sketch for a larger work, now lost, which was displayed as a visitor attraction in Paris.[1][2][3] That work was 30 metres (98 ft) long[2] (or in diameter; sources vary[1]).
Depictions
editPrévost painted the view from the tower of St. Margaret's, including (from left to right):[1]
- Westminster Abbey (part)
- Guildhall
- Whitehall
- St Martin-in-the-Fields
- St James's Park
- Banqueting House
- River Thames
- Waterloo Bridge (under construction)
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Westminster Bridge
- Palace of Westminster
- Westminster Abbey
This was before the 1834 fire which destroyed much of the Palace of Westminster; and the Palace's subsequent rebuilding.[2]
Provenance
editOn 4 July 2018, the painting was auctioned at Sotheby's in London,[1] after being re-found in the south of France.[3] It was purchased for £250,000[1] by the Museum of London, with partial funding by the Art Fund.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Pierre Prévost - A Panoramic View of London, from the Tower of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster". Sotheby's. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d Kennedy, Maev (11 July 2018). "Museum snaps up panorama of lost London landscape". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ a b Dex, Robert. "This panorama of lost Houses of Parliament will cost you £15,000 a foot". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 July 2018.