View of London, Italian school, dated 1841

Italian school, dated 1841
View of London from the bank of the Thames
Oil on canvas, 54.2 x 79.5 cm – With frame, 79.2 x 82.2 cm

Paintings can be time machines that allow us to observe the past; and it is the memory of a London past that is represented in this painting, as can be seen from the flags hoisted on the boats. The protagonist of the scene is the Thames with its tumultuous waters furrowed by boats and in the background the river bank where some still existing buildings can be recognized.
The area depicted is more precisely the right bank of the Thames, the one that extends from the Tower of London to Blackfriars Bridge. This was the area most affected by the famous fire of 1666, which razed almost all the buildings, almost completely destroying even the cathedral of Saint Paul. In his memory, the Monument to the Great Fire of London (The Monument) was erected between 1671 and 1677; a colossal fluted Doric column surmounted by a drum and gilded copper urn from which issue a series of flames. In the present painting she is also depicted, just behind the large white-fronted building of the Custom House. The Custom House is the historic customs building, still used today by the Revenue and Customs Agency of Her Majesty. The history of this building begins in 1813, when due to the influx of wealth and the great development of trade, larger premises were needed than those of the old headquarters located in Sugar Quay (built by Thomas Ripley). In October 1813, construction began on a new building designed by David Laing: the project envisaged a bare front towards the interior while a southern elevation, which looked towards the river of great grandeur. Made following the neoclassical style, which was very successful in England at the beginning of the 19th century, the imposing facade is enlivened by majestic Ionic colonnades with a protruding central section and an attic floor above decorated with bas-relief terracotta figures representing the arts and sciences, commerce and industry, and the inhabitants of various countries of the world. A clock face, about 10 feet in diameter, was supported by colossal figures symbolizing Industry and Abundance, and the royal arms by figures of Oceanus and Commerce. Immediately behind it is possible to recognize the bell tower of the church of San Dunstan in the East, still visible today among the skyscrapers of the City.
Further in the distance you can see London Bridge, one of the main bridges over the Thames located in London that connects the City of London to the London Borough of Southwark. Between its arches another bridge is also undertaken; Blackfriars Bridge: The bridge we see today is still the one that was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869 (a statue of the Queen can still be seen on the north side of the bridge) and was built after that, between 1833 and 1840, it became necessary to renovate the bridge that was used until then.
The huge dome in the background is the iconic dome of St Paul's Church, one of two Anglican cathedrals in London, built by architect Christopher Wren between 1697 and 1711.
Immediately next to it is the bell tower of the church of St. Michael Paternoster Royal; the ancient building was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt under the aegis of Christopher Wren. What we see below is further reconstruction as St Michael's was badly damaged in the bombing of London during WWII and was restored between 1966 and 1968.