John BOYDELL

A View of Privy~Garden Westminster

21 x 14 inches

The Privy Garden in Westminster formed part of the extensive Palace of Whitehall. It was laid out during the reign of Henry VIII and used by the Tudor and Stuart Courts for recreation and events. It lost its royal patronage when the palace was destroyed by fire in 1698 and its fortunes fluctuated thereafter. Throughout the Eighteenth Century it underwent many changes and eventually fell into neglect and disrepair. Canaletto painted the gardens in 1747 and it is this view that formed the basis for Boydell's engraving of 1751.