The Thames at Westminster
Antonio Canaletto (Venice 1697 - Venice 1768)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1746 - 1755
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
736 x 1040 mm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd
NT 1420346
Caption
In the early part of his career Canaletto gained fame for his paintings of Venice and its canals, developing a loyal following among Englishmen on the Grand Tour. Encouraged by this success he moved to London in 1746 and began to paint views of the Thames, becoming well known for his unique handling of light. This picture was probably painted shortly after his arrival in the capital. In the foreground the old York Water Gate is depicted before York House’s spire-like water pump, which is silhouetted against a vivid blue sky. In the distance, over Westminster Bridge, the pink and orange hues of a sunset are reflected on the surface of the water. Lambeth Palace can be seen to the left of the bridge, while on the right is Westminster Hall, the old Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. To the right of the Abbey, Inigo Jones's Whitehall Banqueting House can just be glimpsed between two houses on the river bank.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, The Thames at Westminster, London, by Canaletto (Venice 1697 – Venice 1768).
Provenance
Purchased from C. J. Nieuwenhuys (1799 - 1883) by Colonel the Hon. Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn of Llandegai (1800 – 1886), 1858; thence by descent to Hugh Napier Douglas-Pennant, 4th Baron Penrhyn of Llangedai (1894 – 1949), who left Penryhn and its estates to his niece, Lady Janet Marcia Rose Pelham (1923 - 1997), who with her husband John Charles Harper thereupon assumed the name of Douglas Pennant; accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the National Trust for display at Penrhyn Castle, 2002.
Credit line
Penrhyn Castle, The Douglas Pennant Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Antonio Canaletto (Venice 1697 - Venice 1768) , artist