View of Saint Paul's from across the Thames

Though born in Milan and trained in Italy, Paolo Sala was a precocious and talented artist whose oeuvre was shaped by his wide-ranging travels – he ventured to South America, throughout Europe and to Russia. He exhibited works in Naples, Rome, Venice and Milan. His subjects were wide ranging and he was practised in vedute, marine, genre and portrait paintings.

View of Saint Paul's from across the Thames is one of the rare cityscapes painted by Sala during his time London and truly captures a snapshot of life at one of the city’s most important landmarks. The composition is one filled with hustle and bustle of human activity on the Thames in the foreground. Across the river – in the background – the famous monument of St. Paul’s stands centrally, dominating the horizon and reaching high above all other buildings of industry. A strong proponent of painting en plein air throughout his career, Sala's fluid brushwork perfectly captures his impression of the atmosphere around the Thames.