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Artworks
John Constable
Opening of Waterloo Bridge (18th June 1817) , c. 1830mezzotint on wove paperImage size: 13.7 x 22.2 cms (5 3/4 x 8 3/4 ins)
Plate size: 17.5 x 24.5 cms (7 15/16 x 9 5/8 ins)
Paper size: 30 x 36.5 cms (11 13/16 x 14 3/8 ins)Mezzotint by David Lucas, as directed by John Constable.Final state before publishing. Envisaged for inclusion in part V of of English Landscape Scenery and then as part The Proposed Appendix to English Landscape Scenery however it remained unpublished...Final state before publishing. Envisaged for inclusion in part V of of English Landscape Scenery and then as part The Proposed Appendix to English Landscape Scenery however it remained unpublished until 1838.
The grand opening of Rennie’s Waterloo Bridge was held in 1817 on the second anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The prince is depicted embarking at Whitehall Stairs beside Fife House, the home of the then Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, before making the short journey to the new bridge. The bow-fronted house on the left is no. 5 Whitehall Yard. The In the distance can be seen the Shot Tower and Somerset House, the then home of the Royal Academy and St Paul’s.
Reference: Shirley 31, engraver’s proof (g).
