Oil on canvas. This view of the River Thames is dominated by Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. The artist Henry Pether painted several river views of these structures in his later years. The Government Art Collection also holds a closer view of Westminster Bridge, with part of the Parliament building seen behind, and a painting of Westminster from Lambeth, both by Pether.
Demand for this scene may be partly attributed to the recent completion of these two great London landmarks. Following the almost complete destruction of the historic Palace of Westminster by fire in 1834, the new Houses of Parliament, designed by Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin, were built between 1840 and 1860. A new Westminster Bridge, designed by engineer Thomas Page, was also erected between 1854 and 1862 to replace the former mid-18th-century bridge.
