Very recently this 20 feet wide panorama by the French artist Pierre Prévost (1764 – 1823) has been put on display at the Museum of London. Painted around 1815 just after the Battle of Waterloo, it shows a 360 degree view of London as observed from the tower of St Margaret’s church, Westminster. It was done in watercolour on paper and is glued onto a canvas backing. It was a preparatory piece for a much larger monumental panorama, now lost.
The museum acquired the painting for £200,000 at auction held at Sotheby’s last July.
On Thursday last week I went to see it for the first time. It is lovely. It is not the museum’s fault that the digital versions released since the acquisition cannot possibly do justice to the original version. The colour is far more vibrant for a start. But there is great pleasure to be had zooming in on the detail, which I shall try and demonstrate here. Clearly the artist had a great deal of fun with it.
But also, just to note, for the first time I now properly understand the topography of the old Palace of Westminster: how it stood in relation to the river, Westminster Hall, Old and New Palace yard, and so on.
Old Palace of Westminster, the centrepiece of the painting.
New Palace Yard and Westminster Bridge.
New Palace Yard looking further east to the new Strand Bridge, later Waterloo Bridge, and St Paul’s beyond.
Detail. Carriages in New Palace Yard.
Detail. New Palace Yard. A small crowd listening to a speaker, perhaps, or street vendor or performing animal.
Detail. Two men having a punch-up! Onlookers.
Detail. Charming depiction of a collier and his cart.
Middlesex Guildhall, now the Supreme Court.
My only quibble with the display is that the three glass covers of the display cabinet are joined by strips of metal which are actually rather intrusive. I hope these can be improved upon somehow.
That aside, the panorama is a wonder, giving a superb depiction – albeit idealised – of London two hundred years ago. Do go and see it!
Mike Paterson
London Historians' Blog 