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Lot Essay
This view of the River Thames, looking eastwards over Waterloo Bridge towards St Paul's Cathedral, is taken from Hungerford Bridge. There are twenty churches included in the sky-line, seventeen of which were designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Hungerford Railway Bridge runs between Charing Cross and Waterloo. It was designed by Sir John Hawkshaw to carry the South Eastern Railway over the river to its new West End terminus at Charing Cross. It was completed in 1864 and incorporated a footbridge (enabling Anderson to paint this view of the Thames).
Waterloo Bridge was first built in 1811-17 (see fig. 1) and was opened by the Prince Regent on the second anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1817. Described by Canova as 'the noblest bridge in the world, worth a visit from the remotest corners of the earth,' it was built of granite with nine elliptical arches and pairs of Doric columns at the piers. Some of the hay-barges and narrow-boats in the foreground are seen lowering their masts and sails in order to pass through the arches. The bridge in the present picture was demolished in 1936, and was replaced in 1942 by one designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Somerset House, shown to the left of the picture, was designed in the last quarter of the 18th century by Sir William Chambers. It replaced an earlier Renaissance palace that was demolished after 1775 when Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, chose to live at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) and it was no longer used as a Royal residence. The new building was designed around a large courtyard with a free-standing north wing.
On the South Bank, the wharves, warehouses, shot-towers and factory chimneys are shown in the area which today houses the the Hayward Gallery, the National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall.
Fig. 1. Edward Blore (1787-1879) View of an arch under construction in Waterloo Bridge, showing workmen on the arch and on the bank of the River Thames, circa 1816 (engraved by Edmund Turrell).
Guildhall Library, Corporation of London
John MacVicar Anderson (1835-1915) was an architect and painter who specialised in topographical pictures, especially views of London. He exhibited various architectural designs at the Royal Academy between 1856 and 1896. His views of London usually include a view of the Thames and are known for their accurate delineation of the city skyline. One of his most celebrated paintings of London is Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, seen from the River (Museum of London). Anderson was also responsible for the faade of Christie's, King Street.
Fig. 2. View of the Thames from Hungerford Bridge
1. St Mary le Strand
2. Somerset House
3. St Clement Danes
4. Kings College
5. Public Record Office Central Tower
6. Temple Church
7. St Dunstan in the West
8. Middle Temple Library
9. St Brides
10. St Martin Ludgate Hill
11. Christ Church, Newgate Street
12. St Paul's Cathedral
13. St Augustine
14. St Mary le Bow
15. All Hallows, Bread Street
16. St Nicholas Cole Abbey
17. St Mary Aldermary
18. St Stephen, Walbrook
19. St Swithin London Stone
20. St Mary Somerset
21. St James Garlickhythe
22. St Michael Paternoster Royal
23. The Monument
24. St Dunstan in the East
25. St Magnus the Martyr
26. Shot Tower, Burr & Co. (no longer exists)
27. Waterloo Flour Mill
28. Shot Tower, Walker & Co. (no longer exists)
Hungerford Railway Bridge runs between Charing Cross and Waterloo. It was designed by Sir John Hawkshaw to carry the South Eastern Railway over the river to its new West End terminus at Charing Cross. It was completed in 1864 and incorporated a footbridge (enabling Anderson to paint this view of the Thames).
Waterloo Bridge was first built in 1811-17 (see fig. 1) and was opened by the Prince Regent on the second anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1817. Described by Canova as 'the noblest bridge in the world, worth a visit from the remotest corners of the earth,' it was built of granite with nine elliptical arches and pairs of Doric columns at the piers. Some of the hay-barges and narrow-boats in the foreground are seen lowering their masts and sails in order to pass through the arches. The bridge in the present picture was demolished in 1936, and was replaced in 1942 by one designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Somerset House, shown to the left of the picture, was designed in the last quarter of the 18th century by Sir William Chambers. It replaced an earlier Renaissance palace that was demolished after 1775 when Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, chose to live at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) and it was no longer used as a Royal residence. The new building was designed around a large courtyard with a free-standing north wing.
On the South Bank, the wharves, warehouses, shot-towers and factory chimneys are shown in the area which today houses the the Hayward Gallery, the National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall.
Fig. 1. Edward Blore (1787-1879) View of an arch under construction in Waterloo Bridge, showing workmen on the arch and on the bank of the River Thames, circa 1816 (engraved by Edmund Turrell).
Guildhall Library, Corporation of London
John MacVicar Anderson (1835-1915) was an architect and painter who specialised in topographical pictures, especially views of London. He exhibited various architectural designs at the Royal Academy between 1856 and 1896. His views of London usually include a view of the Thames and are known for their accurate delineation of the city skyline. One of his most celebrated paintings of London is Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, seen from the River (Museum of London). Anderson was also responsible for the faade of Christie's, King Street.
Fig. 2. View of the Thames from Hungerford Bridge
1. St Mary le Strand
2. Somerset House
3. St Clement Danes
4. Kings College
5. Public Record Office Central Tower
6. Temple Church
7. St Dunstan in the West
8. Middle Temple Library
9. St Brides
10. St Martin Ludgate Hill
11. Christ Church, Newgate Street
12. St Paul's Cathedral
13. St Augustine
14. St Mary le Bow
15. All Hallows, Bread Street
16. St Nicholas Cole Abbey
17. St Mary Aldermary
18. St Stephen, Walbrook
19. St Swithin London Stone
20. St Mary Somerset
21. St James Garlickhythe
22. St Michael Paternoster Royal
23. The Monument
24. St Dunstan in the East
25. St Magnus the Martyr
26. Shot Tower, Burr & Co. (no longer exists)
27. Waterloo Flour Mill
28. Shot Tower, Walker & Co. (no longer exists)