Lot Essay
Authenticated drawings by Jan or Johannes Kip are unknown but this drawing is quite clearly the basis for the engraving signed 'J Kip scu...' and published in the 1720 edition of Stow's survey. Not only are the architectural details the same but the much greater number of figures in the foreground of the engraving includes isolated groups taken directly from the drawing, particularly on the right-hand side. Although the engraving was not published until 1720 it was probably prepared much earlier. An advertisement in Hatton's New View of London, 1708, speaks of the new edition of Stow as having 'been long preparing... the cutts receiving much attention and expense but they are now all finished'. Moreover, as well as depicting Inigo Jones's Banqueting House just to the left of centre, both drawing and engraving show buildings from Whitehall Palace which were destroyed in the fire of 1698, suggesting that the drawing may even have been executed before this date.