Whitehall from the Thames, London
Whitehall from the Thames, London
 which depicts the palace from the Thames. It captures from left to right, the King's or Volary Lodgings (built between 1666-8), the Privy Bridge extending into the River (begun under Wolsey, rebuilt under Henry VIII and remodelled between 1576-8). The Queen's Lodgings (1666-8), sit next to the river and in front of the Banqueting House (built by Inigo Jones between 1619-22) and to the right lie the Privy Kitchen range with lodgings above (begun under Cardinal Wolsey). Just behind this is the Chapel Royal and with one of the towers of the Holbein Gate (built 1531-2) visible just behind. The Whitehall Stairs, the public landing place, is visible to the far right.){kind=link}
English School, early 18th Century
A view of Whitehall from the Thames, London
Pen and grey and brown ink and watercolour within artist's pen and ink border
15.3 by 20.4 cm., 6 by 8 in.
Provenance:
With Spink and Son, London;
Private Collection until 2024
Whitehall Palace was the principal residence of the monarch between 1529 and the devastating fire of 1698. It was initially built by the Archbishop of York in the mid 13th Century and became the London residence of the Archbishops until Cardinal Wolsey's fall from grace in 1529. Henry VIII took over the palace and extensively remodelled and rebuilt it. By the reign of Elizabeth I, it was the largest royal palace in Europe.
The present drawing is based on a print from 1707 by Pieter van der Aa (1659-1733) which depicts the palace from the Thames. It captures from left to right, the King's or Volary Lodgings (built between 1666-8), the Privy Bridge extending into the River (begun under Wolsey, rebuilt under Henry VIII and remodelled between 1576-8). The Queen's Lodgings (1666-8), sit next to the river and in front of the Banqueting House (built by Inigo Jones between 1619-22) and to the right lie the Privy Kitchen range with lodgings above (begun under Cardinal Wolsey). Just behind this is the Chapel Royal and with one of the towers of the Holbein Gate (built 1531-2) visible just behind. The Whitehall Stairs, the public landing place, is visible to the far right.