William Marlow is probably best known for his views of London and the Thames, but much of his work is influenced and informed by his experiences travelling in France and Italy in the 1760s. In my previous blog post I mentioned the painting 'The Waterworks at London Bridge on Fire' (1779) by Marlow … Continue Reading ››
'The Waterworks at London Bridge on Fire' (1779) by William Marlow, Guildhall Art Gallery
In 1779 William Marlow painted The Waterworks at London Bridge on Fire. The conflagration of the title is captured by the artist in a spectacularly powerful painting, his palette an … Continue Reading ››
An Arch of Westminster Bridge (c.1750) by Samuel Scott, Tate Collection
My current research focuses on the interconnected careers of Samuel Scott and William Marlow, two 18th-century artists known for their painted views of London and the River Thames but whose contribution to British … Continue Reading ››
In the early years of the 19th century, the British romantic artist William Blake painted a very strange and brownish picture he called The Spiritual Form of Nelson Guiding Leviathan. For many years art historians have pored over Blake’s work for secret symbols, hidden messages and coded narratives, but this one seems quite straightforward so … Continue Reading ››
Not far from the banks of the Thames opposite my studio at Bow Creek is what is arguably the finest, best-preserved and most ambitious Jacobean mansion in London: Charlton House, and yet it attracts very little in the way of interest. The … Continue Reading ››
Hammersmith Bridge on Boat-race Day (c. 1862) by Walter Greaves
I was surprised to come across this canvas by Walter Greaves in the current Tate Britain exhibition: British Folk Art. Greaves was the … Continue Reading ››
Engraved by John Rogers after George Bryant Campion, pub. 1830
A good friend of mine from Brühl in Germany has just given me this picture, having come across it in an antique printshop in Cologne. … Continue Reading ››
