Patrick Nasmyth

Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 3rd Bt (1862-1929).;
his sale, London, Christie's, 13 December 1929, lot 135 (bt. by Leggatt for £399)

London, British Institution, 1822, no. 62;
Southport, Patrick Nasmyth Centenary Exhibition, 1892

P. Johnson and E. Money, The Nasmyth Family of Painters, London 1977, p. 53 

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. There is infilling to craquelure in the lower section of the painting, to the darker areas of pigment in the foliage, visible in a raking light. The rest of the painting appears to be in very good condition however. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the infilling to heavy craquelure in the dark pigments of the foliage in the lower section of the painting, and reveals a small amount of very minor infilling to fine craquelure in the sky. FRAME Held in a gilded period style, modern frame, with some minor losses to the moulding. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The view is taken from the wood by the village of Charlton, which sits upon high ground overlooking the Thames valley. The ground falls away steeply to the north, towards the river, and to the north-west, towards Greenwich. In the early nineteenth century the wood was situated just north of the village, on the east side of what today is Charlton Church Lane, just at the point where the ground begins to descend. The road, which is clearly visible in the painting, is the Woolwich road, with abundant open marshland between it and the river. Beyond, in the far distance, can be seen the church spires of St. Alfege, at Greenwich, and St. Paul's, at Deptford.

What appears to be a preparatory drawing for the present painting, showing the same distant view of Greenwich and the Woolwich road, though without the foreground detail and the trees which enclose the vista, is in the collection of the National Heritage Centre at Greenwich. The drawing is inscribed Greenwich Hospital from the Woolwich Road, and signed and dated by the artist: Patk. Nasmyth 1817.

Born in Edinburgh, the son of the famous Scottish landscape painter Alexander Nasmyth, the younger Nasmyth moved to London in 1810, where he painted several distant views of the city. Another distant view of Greenwich, painted in 1810, is in the Tate Gallery (N05797), which owns many examples of the artists works. Like his father his style was very much influenced by the Dutch masters, especially the work of Hobbema and Ruysdael.