20th Century Copy of Drawing of Part of Whitehall of c.1695-97

Start Zooming
  • About the work
    Location
    Country: UK
    City: London
    Place: Government Art Collection

    This pen and ink drawing is a 20th-century copy of a remarkable bird’s-eye view of Whitehall, drawn by artist Leonard Knyff in c.1695-97. This copy reproduces a small part of the original, which shows the full extent of the Palace and surrounding area. It represents the Palace after the fire of 1691 (which reduced its size to the south) but just prior to the fire of 1698 (which effectively destroyed it altogether).

    Knyff’s original drawing is held in the City of Westminster Archives Centre, London.

  • About the artist
    Leendert Knijff, better known as Leonard Knyff, was born in Haarlem in 1650 and followed his brother Jacob (also an artist) to London at some point after 1676. In 1694, Knyff was made a British citizen. He began his career painting still lifes but became better-known in Britain for his views of gardens and country houses. The birds-eye view format, which was popularised in the UK by Knyff, is thought to have first been introduced to the British landscape tradition by his brother, Jacob.
  • Explore
  • Details
    Title
    20th Century Copy of Drawing of Part of Whitehall of c.1695-97
    Date
    1928
    Medium
    Pen and ink on paper
    Dimensions
    height: 19.50 cm, width: 44.00 cm
    Acquisition
    Presented by Roland Wilkins, December 1931
    Inscription
    Insbr (in pencil): From a Drawing by L Knyff 1690/ a...(Illegible) 1928
    Provenance
    Presented by Roland Wilkins, Assistant Paymaster-General, 1931
    GAC number
    0/623