View of London from the Adelphi

Location

Country: Oman
City: Muscat
Place: British Embassy

To the left Waterloo Bridge can be seen, with St Paul’s Cathedral beyond. The tall tower, where the bridge meets the South Bank, is a shot tower. Shot balls, for use in firearms, were made by dropping molten lead from the top of the tower into a water basin at the bottom. The tower was demolished in 1949. To the right of the panorama we see Westminster Bridge and, further to the right, Westminster Abbey. Lambeth Palace can also be made out in the distance, beyond the bridge.

This ‘View of London from the Adelphi’ was published as ‘The Panorama of the Thames from London to Richmond’, by Samuel Leigh in c.1829. The publication included numerous small panoramas showing the buildings lining the river. The individual illustrations, if joined together (as some are here), were able to form one single panorama of almost 59 feet in width. The prints were accompanied by a booklet of text, titled ‘John Clark's Description of the Most Remarkable Places between London and Richmond’. The text explained that the view ‘was taken from the upper part of a house near the Adelphi, a situation which presents a greater portion of interesting objects than any other spot in the Metropolis.’

John Heaviside Clark worked as an engraver, book illustrator and a landscape and marine painter. He was born in Scotland, but worked in London from 1802 to 1832. Clark exhibited his works, mainly maritime and landscape subjects, at the Royal Academy from 1812 to 1832. He was known as ‘Waterloo Clark’ as a result of the many sketches he made of the scene immediately after the conclusion of the Battle of Waterloo. Publications illustrated by Clark include ‘Field Sports Etc. of the Native Inhabitants of New South Wales’ (1813) and ‘Practical Illustration of Gilpin’s Day’ (1824). He died in Edinburgh in October 1863. Examples of his work can be found at Glasgow Art Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and Maidstone Museum.

Places

England, London, City of London, Westminster

Subjects

topography, townscape/cityscape, smoke, river, monument, bridge (urban), abbey, cathedral, spire, chimney, tower, steamboat, paddle steamer, sailboat

Materials & Techniques

etching, aquatint, coloured aquatint

Artist

John Heaviside Clark (c.1771 - 1863)

Title

View of London from the Adelphi

Date

c.1824

Medium

Coloured etching and aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, March 1965

GAC number

6906