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Description: | A view looking west across the river frontage of Greenwich Hospital. On the left is the Old George Inn, which in 1837 was replaced by the present Trafalgar Tavern, with passenger wherries and local fishing boats moored off what was then one of the main local landing places at the north end of modern Park Row. Beyond the Hospital, here shown flying the Union flag over the Governor's House in the King Charles Court, can be seen Fisher's Alley, or Fisher Lane, the Ship Inn and the buildings around Greenwich landing. A crane is distinctly visible beyond and a number of people have been portrayed on the Five-Foot Walk, in front of the Hospital. The white building near the crane is one of a pair of pavilions terminating each end of the riverfront walk inside the Hospital railings, reportedly erected in 1778 though possibly an enlargement of earlier ones if Canaletto's view of c. 1751-2 is accurate in showing something similar. They no longer survive. On the extreme right, beyond the brig coming downstream, is the hospital ship, 'Dreadnought'.
The artist has taken a viewpoint which is low in the water and this has created a dramatic impression and exaggerated the size and extent of the shipping on the river in the foreground, whilst making possible the full sweep of the buildings to the left and in the far distance. The river has been shown as the most significant highway into London, full of shipping and river craft of all sizes.
Chambers, the son of a poor mariner in Whitby, Yorkshire, followed his father to sea at the age of ten. After several years he became apprenticed to a house and ship painter where his skill at lettering and marking whale-boats attracted attention. He was greatly admired for the details of his marine paintings, particularly those showing details of the crew performing naval tasks. The painting has been signed by the artist and dated '1835'.
caption: View of Greenwich Hospital from the north bank of the Thames, 1835 | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Rights holder: | "Royal Museums Greenwich" | Subjects: | H.M.S. Dreadnought (1801) Greenwich Treasures of the National Maritime Museum paintings | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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