The Coronation in the Abbey of St Peter's Westminster, of His Majesty King William IVth and Queen Adelaide thumbnail 1
The Coronation in the Abbey of St Peter's Westminster, of His Majesty King William IVth and Queen Adelaide thumbnail 2
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The Coronation in the Abbey of St Peter's Westminster, of His Majesty King William IVth and Queen Adelaide

Paper Peepshow
ca. 1831 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Although the slipcase title of the paper peepshow only mentions interior views of the Westminster Abbey, its content actually depicts William IV and Queen Adelaide’s coronation. The interior of Westminster Abbey proves an apt subject matter for the paper peepshow, as the heightened illusion of perspective and space is very suitable for depicting the Gothic architecture. The reportage of the current event, the Coronation, further adds to the appeal of the paper peepshow.

William IV and Queen Adelaide were crowned on 8 September 1831. Originally wishing to dispense with the coronation entirely, William was persuaded otherwise by traditionalists, but refused to hold a coronation banquet as he deemed that to be too expensive.

The artist responsible for the images was James Robert Thompson. Between 1807 and 1808, he was one of those employed to survey Henry VII’s Chapel, in Westminster Abbey. He provided nine drawings for the Henry VII Chapel plates in John Britton’s Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain. Highlighting the contribution of Thompson to the production of the paper peepshow would have lent more authenticity to its representation of the Coronation.



Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • The Coronation in the Abbey of St Peter's Westminster, of His Majesty King William IVth and Queen Adelaide (published title)
  • Views of Cathedral and Collegiate Buildings. Westminster Abbey (alternative title)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
The Coronation in the Abbey of St Peter's Westminster, of His Majesty King William IVth and Queen Adelaide, Essex, C., ca.1831
Physical description
Accordion-style paper peepshow of the coronation of William IV and Queen Adelaide in Westminster Abbey.

8 cut-out panels. 1 peep-hole. Hand-coloured aquatint. In a slipcase. Extends to approximately 76 cm.

Slipcase: captioned view of the temporary robing rooms in front of the Abbey, the details of the publisher, and the title of the paper peepshow. On the back the inscription ‘Anna Maria E. Watson’.

Front-face: the title, the captioned view of the ‘vaultings’ of Westminster Abbey, the artist and etcher, and the publisher. The peep-hole consists of the arch in the centre.

Panel 1: a gallery in the Abbey, crowded with audience; four musicians playing on kettle drums.

Panel 2: two Coronation chairs in the middle of the Abbey, with four bishops nearby; audience on either side.

Panel 3: four additional bishops in the Abbey, with the crowded gallery on the side.

Panel 4: the dais erected in the crossing; William seated on his throne and several peers preparing to pay homage.

Panel 5: two groups of heralds standing in the centre in the crossing; peers seated on either side with audience above them in the gallery.

Panel 6 and 7: the choir and the audience in the gallery on either side.

Panel 8: the choir and the choir screen; the audience in the gallery on either side.

Back panel: the West Window and West Door.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.7cm
  • Width: 11.4cm
  • Fully extended length: 76cm
Marks and inscriptions
‘Anna Maria E. Watson’. (Inscribed on the reverse of the slipcase)
Credit line
Accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from the collections of Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016.
Object history
Anna Maria E. Watson, 19th century? (On the back of the slipcase the inscription ‘Anna Maria E. Watson’)

Part of the Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner Collection, collected over 30 years and given to the V&A Museum through the government's Cultural Gift Scheme, 2016.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Although the slipcase title of the paper peepshow only mentions interior views of the Westminster Abbey, its content actually depicts William IV and Queen Adelaide’s coronation. The interior of Westminster Abbey proves an apt subject matter for the paper peepshow, as the heightened illusion of perspective and space is very suitable for depicting the Gothic architecture. The reportage of the current event, the Coronation, further adds to the appeal of the paper peepshow.

William IV and Queen Adelaide were crowned on 8 September 1831. Originally wishing to dispense with the coronation entirely, William was persuaded otherwise by traditionalists, but refused to hold a coronation banquet as he deemed that to be too expensive.

The artist responsible for the images was James Robert Thompson. Between 1807 and 1808, he was one of those employed to survey Henry VII’s Chapel, in Westminster Abbey. He provided nine drawings for the Henry VII Chapel plates in John Britton’s Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain. Highlighting the contribution of Thompson to the production of the paper peepshow would have lent more authenticity to its representation of the Coronation.

Bibliographic reference
R. Hyde, Paper Peepshows. The Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner Collection (Woodbridge: The Antique Collectors' Club, 2015), cat. 224.
Other number
38041016058729 - NAL barcode
Collection
Library number
Gestetner 224

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Record createdOctober 18, 2017
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