The Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin showing the French and German Cathedrals

Vickers went to Russia in 1833-1834 in order to execute drawings for Charles Heath's Picturesque Annual of 1836. He either travelled out via Berlin, or returned that way. The present watercolour must therefore show the Gendarmenmarkt as it appeared in 1833 or 1834. Heath's publication, properly described as A Journey to St Petersburg and Moscow through Courland and Livonia by Leitch Ritchie, was illustrated with 25 engravings after drawings by Vickers. All these illustrations are views in Russia, but at the beginning of the text Ritchie states that his return journey was made via Berlin, and it seems that Heath planned to publish a further Annual including views of cities in Prussia including Berlin, Cracow and Danzig.