Woolwich

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: HM Revenue & Customs, 100 Parliament Street

This view of Woolwich includes a mother and child with a dog, seen in the right foreground, walking along a path. The town of Woolwich itself is in the middle distance, beyond a field. In the background ships sail on the River Thames.

Joseph Farington’s view of ‘Woolwich’ was issued as Plate XXII of ‘An History of the River Thames’, published in two volumes by John Boydell between 1794 and 1796.~ The successful and acclaimed publication was the result of a collaboration between several leading figures involved in book production. The text was written by William Combe (who also wrote the ‘Dr. Syntax’ series), 76 aquatint illustrations were engraved by Joseph Constantine Sadler after paintings by Joseph Farington, the lettering was designed by typefounder William Martin (died 1815) and the volumes were printed by William Bulmer (c.1757-1830).

Joseph Farington was born in Leigh, Lancashire, son of the vicar of Leigh and rector of Warrington. He was educated in Manchester and studied under Richard Wilson in London from 1763. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1769 and became an Academician in 1785. His strength was in pen, ink and wash drawings of topographical views. He made extensive sketching tours of the UK and settled in the North Country from 1776. Works made there led to the publication ‘Views of the Lakes of Cumberland and Westmorland’ (1785). In 1780 he suffered a breakdown after his wife died. In the next year he moved to London. He died on a visit to his brother in Lancashire, when he fell down steps at Didsbury Church. His personal diaries were published in 1934.
Joseph Constantine Stadler was a prolific German émigré engraver of images after his contemporaries. His engravings are wide-ranging in subject matter and include landscapes, seascapes and portraits, as well as military, sporting and decorative subjects. Stadler was employed by the leading print publisher of the time, John Boydell (1720-1804). On 23 March 1799 Stadler married Ann Elizabeth Sandman at St Anne’s Church, Soho, in London. He was living in Knightsbridge when he died at the age of 73.

Places

England, London

Subjects

topography, landscape C18th, townscape/cityscape, dog, river, boy, woman, path, house, church, ship

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, colour aquatint

Artist

Joseph Farington (1747 - 1821)
Joseph Constantine Stadler (1755 - 1828)

Title

Woolwich

Date

published 1 June 1795

Medium

Colour aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, September 1976

GAC number

12480