Lambeth Palace and the Houses of Parliament

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Downing Street

This picture shows the original structure of Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, prior to the extensive rebuilding and restoration undertaken by Edward Blore between 1828 and 1834. The Tudor gatehouse, the entrance to the palace, was built for Archbishop Morton between 1486 and 1501. Beyond the Palace is a view of the Houses of Parliament.

Line and mezzotint engraver Thomas Abiel Prior was born in London. He engraved landscapes after contemporary artists for publishers Henry Fisher and George Virtue. In 1837 he married Emma Sharrow and their son, Thomas William, was born the following year. Prior engraved J. M. W. Turner’s drawing ‘Heidelberg Castle and Town’ under the artist’s supervision (published 1844) and later made further engravings after Turner’s work. He produced 14 plates on steel for the ‘Art Journal’ (1850–71), including plates after works in the Royal Collection. His wife may have died in 1860, when he moved to Calais to be close to their son. Here he taught drawing at local schools, returning annually to assess proofs of his plates. He died in Calais aged 77.

Places

England, London

Subjects

topography, townscape/cityscape, Victorian Genre, donkey, river, man, woman, 19th century costume, dress, gate, bridge (urban), government building, palace, abbey, church windows, door, clock tower, tower, paddle steamer, sailboat

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

19th century unknown
Thomas Abiel Prior (1809 - 1886)

Title

Lambeth Palace and the Houses of Parliament

Date

Medium

Coloured engraving

Dimensions

height: 20.00 cm, width: 40.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Harrington Bros., April 1980

GAC number

14980