An aerial view of Westminster, from St. Paul’s looking towards London Bridge. Moorings of barges crowd the centre of the Thames. Wyllie has portrayed the clarity of the water through careful and precise removal of ink from his printing plate in those areas which are white. The colouration of the sky may have been achieved by pre-inking the plate for an atmospheric, cloudy effect. Signed by artist.

W. L. Wyllie (1851-1931) was a British Marine artist. Born in London, Wyllie painted, drew, and etched Thames scenes throughout his life. He moved to Portsmouth in 1907, where he continued working, supported the restoration of the Victory and painted the Trafalgar Panorama. Early in his career Wyllie was an illustrator for The Graphic, and he became a member of the Royal Academy in 1907.