View of London with York Water Gate, Westminster Bridge and St John's Smith Square
attributed to Robert Griffier
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1750 - 1758
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
559 x 889 mm (22 x 35 in)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Ardress House, County Armagh
NT 247856
Caption
Attributed to Robert Griffier, son of the Dutch artist Jan Griffier, this painting provides a striking (and somewhat distorted) bird’s eye view of the river Thames, with the newly completed Westminster Bridge brightly lit in the centre of the composition. In the right foreground the York Watergate, built in 1626 for George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham, can be seen. The gate served as the primary exit from the gardens belonging to the nearby York House, one of a number of mansions along the south side of the Strand. The spire-like edifice beyond the gate is an early stationary steam engine, used for pumping water. This painting is one of a pair by the same artist (see National Trust Inventory Number 247855).
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, View of London with York Water Gate, Westminster Bridge and St John's Smith Square, attributed to Robert Griffier (London 1688 – London 1750), 1750/58. It was previously catalogued as style of William Marlow (Southwark 1740 – Twickenham 1813) which would have been too late. The York Water Gate (on the right of the picture) was designed by Sir Balthazer Gerbier in the late 1620's. This picture with its companion was probably painted between 1751 when Westminster Bridge was completed, and 1757 when the houses on old London Bridge were removed. The unusual perspective and scale suggests that both paintings may have been based on a number of different printed topographic sources, rather than being observed from the life.
Provenance
on loan from Earl Castle Stewart
Makers and roles
attributed to Robert Griffier, artist previously catalogued as style of William Marlow (Southwark 1740 – Twickenham 1813), artist British (English) School, artist