St Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Circus, London
St Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Circus, London
St Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Circus, LondonWatercolour over pencil heightened with white on buff paper31.8 by 23.7 cm., 12 ½ by 9 ¼ in.Provenance: With the Squire Gallery, London, 1950, bought Ingram;Michael Ingram (1917-2005), his sale, Sotheby's 8th December 2005, lot 244Exhibited:London, Albany Gallery, London to Paris 1820-1845, 16th November to 1st December 1972, no.35This study relates to Roberts' last great uncompleted project, a series of views of the Thames prior to the rebuilding of the embankment by Joseph Bazalgette, which he began working on in 1860. The final one of the group was a view of St Paul's from Ludgate Circus seen before the building of the Ludgate Hill station and viaduct, for which this is the preliminary sketch. He was working on the painting the day he died, on 25th November 1864. It was described as being: `remarkably broad in disposition of light and shade - the whole street filled with shadow whilst the dome of the cathedral and the spires of the neighbouring churches in full light' (see Katherine Sim, David Roberts R.A. 1796-1864 - A Biography, 1984, pp.320-1).){kind=link}
David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864)
St Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Circus, London
Watercolour over pencil heightened with white on buff paper
31.8 by 23.7 cm., 12 ½ by 9 ¼ in.
Provenance:
With the Squire Gallery, London, 1950, bought Ingram;
Michael Ingram (1917-2005), his sale, Sotheby's 8th December 2005, lot 244
Exhibited:
London, Albany Gallery, London to Paris 1820-1845, 16th November to 1st December 1972, no.35
This study relates to Roberts' last great uncompleted project, a series of views of the Thames prior to the rebuilding of the embankment by Joseph Bazalgette, which he began working on in 1860. The final one of the group was a view of St Paul's from Ludgate Circus seen before the building of the Ludgate Hill station and viaduct, for which this is the preliminary sketch. He was working on the painting the day he died, on 25th November 1864. It was described as being: `remarkably broad in disposition of light and shade - the whole street filled with shadow whilst the dome of the cathedral and the spires of the neighbouring churches in full light' (see Katherine Sim, David Roberts R.A. 1796-1864 - A Biography, 1984, pp.320-1).