Henry Pether

This signed work by Henry Pether captures the construction of one of London's most significant pieces of architecture. It shows a view of the Thames with architect Sir Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin's new Palace of Westminster nearing completion. The entire scene is bathed in a warm pink light, contrasted against the soft blues and greens of the water, a palette that resembles the tones of a Turner watercolour. Of particular note are the wooden cranes perched on top of the Victoria Tower, a portion of the building which was only completed in May 1860. Just visible to the right is the incomplete St Stephen's Tower, home to the iconic bell 'Big Ben', which was completed a year earlier in May 1859. A drawing and watercolour of the building at the same stage of completion, 'sketched on the spot' by the artist James Wilson Carmichael (1800–1868), is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.¹

To the right is a view of the Tudor brick Morton's Tower at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Just to the right of this is the Church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth, a Victorian restoration of a much earlier building which is now the Garden Museum.

Another version of this view was sold from the collection of Stanley J. Passmore in 1977.²

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¹ https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1271616/the-houses-of-parliament-in-drawing-james-wilson-carmichael/

² Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 21 October 1977, lot 143.