Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1976.7.146
Gallery Label:
In this daring composition, Samuel Scott puts the viewer in the position of a traveler on the river Thames about to pass under the arches of the newly finished Westminster Bridge. Scott was the first British-born artist to specialize in marine painting, basing his early style on the Dutch tradition that was established in Britain by the Van de Velde family. But when Canaletto arrived in London in 1746, Scott began emulating the Venetian artist’s style in his own views of the Thames. Canaletto had recently painted a celebrated view of London from under the arches of Westminster Bridge for the Duke of Northumberland, and this painting by Scott suggests an attempt to rival Canaletto but also to emphasize the engineering marvel of the bridge rather than offering a sweeping view of City of London. The composition was very popular, and it survives today in several different versions. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
