View of London with St. Paul’s in the distance: a family pausing on a road
Julius Caesar Ibbetson British
Not on view
One of a pair, this watercolor portrays a well-to-do family enjoying fine weather on a hill-top at Kilburn, northwest of London. Beyond the figures, cows graze before a prospect punctuated by the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, with the river in the middle distance a tributary of the Thames that runs from Hampstead down towards Hyde Park. In this fine early example of Ibbeston's work, assured handling of line combines with delicate watercolors in a way that demonstrates admiration for Paul Sandby. A keen observer of contemporary life, the artist conveys English upper class contentment just before the outbreak of the French Revolution.