London by one of England’s foremost maritime artists

An atmospheric 'balloon-view' print of London from above Westminster Abbey, looking east to the City and the docks beyond, swathed in cloud and smoke. Wyllie (1851-1931) is best known for his etchings of ships, especially those of the First World War. However he established himself as an artist with landscapes: he won the Turner Gold Medal for landscape in 1869, and in 1870 his panoramic 'London from the Monument' was one of the first of his works to be exhibited at the Royal Academy. At the same time he started work for 'The Graphic' newspaper, an association that lasted many years. This balloon view was published as a supplement to the Graphic, the same year that Wyllie published his first etching, 'Toil, glitter, grime and wealth on a flowing tide', and held a one-man exhibition, 'The Tidal Thames'.