Canaletto (1697–1768)
A View from Somerset Gardens Looking towards London Bridge
c. 1746–55
Pen, brown ink, and gray wash
Samuel Courtauld Trust: Princes Gate Bequest, 1978
In 1746, Canaletto traveled to England and over the following decade produced a record of mid-Georgian London. In this finished work, drawn as a collector's item, London is seen from above the terrace of Old Somerset House, designed by Inigo Jones in the 1630s (and, since 1989, home to the Courtauld Institute). Stairs lead to the Thames. In the distance at right are the arches of Old London Bridge, while St. Paul's Cathedral towers above a skyline dotted with spires.