Bowles and Carver

A view of the Tower, with the Bridge & part of the City of London from the River Thames

15 x 10 inches

A copper plate engraving in strong, original watercolour; published in London by Bowles and Carver circa 1800.

This iconic view of the City of London depicts all the famous landmarks that helped cement London as the most commercially vibrant city in Europe at the beginning of the C19th. Clearly visible from the artist's vantage point on the south bank of the river are London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Custom House and the magnificent Tower of London. All manner of mercantile ships throng the Thames in the foreground and at the very centre of the panorama stands Christopher Wren's masterpiece, the Monument to the Great Fire of London. This vista would have been a welcome sight for ships returning from naval skirmishes overseas or trade expeditions returning from Britain's colonies in Africa and beyond. Bowles and Carver were one of the many printing and publishing firms working in London at the time. Based in St. Paul's Church Yard, they met the ever increasing demand for reproductive images of London and other European cities.