Early Drawings and Pictures of London

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Early Drawings and Pictures of London

These images are from a catalog privately presented to the Burlington Fine Arts Club in London in 1920.

From the Preface:

In this great time in the nation's history, when changes
moral and material are following each other with such
speed that we "know not what a day may bring forth,"
it seems all the more incumbent on us while we live in
the present not to forget the past. Accordingly, the
Committee felt that pictures and drawings of the London of our ancestors
would have exceptional interest, and the present exhibition is the result.

The space at our command being limited, we can only show a tithe
of the material still in existence, but, through the kindness of owners,
many fine works are on our walls, with others which, although as
regards craftsmanship they have only average merit, are valuable as
showing noteworthy scenes and buildings of a former day. Among the
number that have not been exhibited before we would mention the
drawings from Windsor which His Majesty the King has been graci-
ously pleased to lend, also those belonging to Sir Edward Coates — but a
trifling instalment of his unique collection.

By way of preface a few words on old London views may not be
thought superfluous. In manuscripts and early printed books pictures or
illustrations which purported to represent London were now and then
produced, but the artists did not attempt to imitate nature with precision,
their feeling for decorative effect being paramount. Indeed, in R. Pynson's
by some of our most famous artists.

Until the latter part of the eigh-
teenth century oil pictures of scenes on the Thames were plentiful, Samuel
Scott, who was also a marine painter, setting the example. He was a
friend of Hogarth, and together they illustrated the account of that
frolicsome jaunt to the Isle of Sheppey and back in 1732, which is now
in the British Museum. Scott, who was latterly much influenced by
Canaletto, founded more or less of a school, some of the pictures usually
ascribed to him being perhaps by his followers. Canaletto himself paid
us a prolonged visit, and several of his fine London drawings are on our
walls. There is also evidence that he designed two oil pictures here
exhibited (Nos. 69 and 94), which were previously attributed to Scott.
As time went on water-colours by the Sandbys and others gradually
came into vogue.

Many years before the date to which this exhibition is
confined, our predecessors began to take an interest not only in river
scenes and great public buildings, but in humbler subjects, such as old
houses, and picturesque nooks and corners threatened with destruction.
Pennant's " London," of which there are several splendidly extra illus-
trated copies, helped to encourage these varied tastes, so did Wilkinson's
" Londina Illustrata," to name only one later publication, and competent
draughtsmen and engravers got something like permanent employment
on work of this kind.

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