20th Century Copy of Drawing of Part of Whitehall of c.1695-97

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This pen and ink drawing is a 20th-century copy of a remarkable bird’s-eye view of Whitehall, drawn by artist Leonard Knyff in c.1695-97. This copy reproduces a small part of the original, which shows the full extent of the Palace and surrounding area. It represents the Palace after the fire of 1691 (which reduced its size to the south) but just prior to the fire of 1698 (which effectively destroyed it altogether).

Knyff’s original drawing is held in the City of Westminster Archives Centre, London.

Leendert Knijff, better known as Leonard Knyff, was born in Haarlem in 1650 and followed his brother Jacob (also an artist) to London at some point after 1676. In 1694, Knyff was made a British citizen. He began his career painting still lifes but became better-known in Britain for his views of gardens and country houses. The birds-eye view format, which was popularised in the UK by Knyff, is thought to have first been introduced to the British landscape tradition by his brother, Jacob.

Places

England, London, Whitehall

Subjects

carriage, topography, townscape/cityscape, tree, horse, street, government building, house

Materials & Techniques

paper (as artists material), ink, Ink drawing

Artist

Leonard Knyff (1650 - 1722)
20th century unknown

Title

20th Century Copy of Drawing of Part of Whitehall of c.1695-97

Date

1928

Medium

Pen and ink on paper

Dimensions

height: 19.50 cm, width: 44.00 cm

Acquisition

Presented by Roland Wilkins, December 1931

Inscription

Insbr (in pencil): From a Drawing by L Knyff 1690/ a...(Illegible) 1928

Provenance

Presented by Roland Wilkins, Assistant Paymaster-General, 1931

GAC number

0/623