A view of the Thames below London Bridge with a number of craft, predominantly lighters, tugs and barges, on the river. The cranes of Hays Wharf rise to the left, the dome of St Paul’s and the Monument to the Great Fire of London to the right on the northern (City) shore. Behind the bridge the long silhouette of Cannon Street station extends over the river. For another version, see PAE2007. In the 1980s Hay’s Wharf was repurposed to Hay’s Galleria, which is now home to office space, restaurants, and shops.

Wyllie was born in London, and trained at Heatherley's Academy, and then at the Royal Academy Schools, where he first exhibited in 1868. During the mid-1870s he spent much time on a barge, converted into a floating studio, going up and down the Thames.

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.