A view of the Thames with Saint Paul's Cathedral from Blackfriars

Born into a family of artists, Henry was the son of Abraham Pether (1756-1812), a talented landscape painter originally from Chichester, recognised for his skill in depicting moonlit scenes. His pictures attracted much admiration, earning for him the sobriquet of "Moonlight" Pether. Abraham had another son who became a painter, Sebastian, who was also influenced by his father’s artistic interests and he too painted moonlit scenes. Unlike his father and brother however, Henry favoured actual scenes, often of the Thames, over the more artificial compositions of his father and brother. His works convey an evocative sense of poetry and realism, such as in the present lot, with great attention to detail and dramatic composition.