Watercolour, Waterloo Bridge and Shot Tower, by Clarkson Stanfield, ca. 1832.

Watercolourof Waterloo Bridge and Shot Tower

William Smith Bequest

Bequeathed by William Smith, 1876.

Historical Significance:

Born in Sunderland, County Durham, Clarkson Stanfield was apprenticed to a heralci painter in Edinburgh at the age of twelve. In 1808 he entered the merchant service and four years later was preganged, spending two years on the HMS Namur, the guard-ship at Sheerness. In 1814, having been discharged following an injury, he joined the merchant navy and travelled to China in the Indiaman Warley. On his return to Britain in 1816 he missed ship and became a scene painter in London. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1820, where he continued to exhibit until his death. He was elected ARA in 1832 and RA in 1835. He was a founder member of the Society of British Artists and became its president in 1829. Probably reflecting his time as a sailor, Stanfield’s paintings captured the feel of the sea and he was regarded as the greatest marine painter of his generation. As well as painting in oils he also worked in watercolours. From the 1820s he made numerous trips in Britain and to the Continent. He would draw ideas from these for his landscape paintings. He also contributed illustrations to various publications including The Christmas Books of Charles Dickens.

Designed by John Rennie (1761-1821), Waterloo Bridge was opened in 1817. It was opened by the Prince Regent (later to become George IV, 1762-1930) on June 8th, 1817, the second anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Shot tower was built on the south bank, to the west of Waterloo Bridge in 1826. It was built for the firm of Thomas Maltby & Co., whose factory produced ammunition for rifles and pistols. The site where Shot Tower stood is now occupied by Queen Elizabeth Hall. Both shot tower and waterloo bridge were represented by a number of artists, including an etching made by Thomas Sheppard in 1827 and an aquatint by George Hunt from 1836.

Here Stanfield uses portrait format to emphasise the tall line of the shot tower and grandiose architecture of Waterloo Bridge. The tower and portion of Waterloo Bridge that frames the view on the left are bathed in clear sunlight from the large sky. The representation of both tower and bridge, emphasising their clean lines and classical features of the latter, recalls idealised landscapes of Claude Lorraine, such as his Seaport with the embarkation of the Queen of Sheba (National Gallery, NG. 14). This is also evident in the carefully observed reflection of the scene in the Thames. In the foreground Stanfield carefully represents the temporary wooden structures around the shot tower. The number of people at the base of these buildings conveys the thriving industry of the location. This view was engraved by G. Cooke in 1832.

2983-1876