The Building of Westminster Bridge
by SCOTT, Samuel, Oil on canvas, 79 x 151 cm
The view is from one of the timber yards on the Surrey shore looking south along the Thames. It is an elegant synthesis of refined London topography and bustling water-borne life. The foreground is dominated by a view of tree trunks loaded on a barge. This timber was needed to provide the centre for the arches of Westminster Bridge, which is shown in a state of partial construction beyond.
The painting is signed and dated lower left: Sam Scott 1750.