Recently acquired panorama goes on display for the first time at the Museum of London

Museum of London

Friday 15 March - September 2019

FREE

The Museum of London, in July last year, acquired an epic 20 feet wide panorama of London, painted around 1815 by the French artist Pierre Prévost (1764-1823). This beautiful and rare panorama will be going on display for the first time at the Museum of London this March.

This panorama has been acquired with the help of Art Fund, the Aldama Foundation and a group of individual donors, with additional support from Michael Spencer, the Leche Trust and other donors who wish to remain anonymous.

In late 1815, as the Napoleonic Wars drew to a close, artist Pierre Prévost took the opportunity to visit London and to create this 360° view painted from St Margaret’s church, in the shadow of Westminster Abbey. His sweeping vision captures Parliament Square, the old Palace of Westminster, cattle grazing in St James’s Park, Buckingham House, St Martin-in-the-Fields, the unfinished Strand (soon to be renamed Waterloo) Bridge, semi-rural Lambeth, and, above all, St Paul’s dominating the easterly horizon. This view is now lost to history as the old Palace of Westminster, target of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was burnt down in 1834.

In the early 19th century, panoramas were an extremely popular form of entertainment. These huge 360° landscape paintings gave visitors an immersive experience, placing the viewer into the scene and allowing them to experience it almost first-hand. Prévost’s painting is the study for a 30-metre diameter panorama, now lost, displayed in Paris in 1817.

Francis Marshall, Senior Curator of Paintings at the Museum of London, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be able to display this beautiful panorama for all to see. It captures a moment in time and reveals a captivating history of London. It’s a fantastic addition to our art collection and we are hugely grateful to Art Fund and others for supporting us in this unique acquisition.”

Stephen Deuchar, Director of Art Fund said: “The Museum of London’s brilliant success in acquiring Pierre Prevost’s epic image of lost London was the result of lightning fundraising campaign, of which Art Fund was proud to be part. Our congratulations to the Museum and our deep thanks to the donors who ensured this important panorama will be seen and enjoyed for generations to come.”

-ENDS-

For more press information please contact Emily Brazee, Media Officer at the Museum of London on 020 7814 5502/ 077 1356 5805 or [email protected].

The Museum of London tells the ever-changing story of this great world city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day. Our galleries, exhibitions, displays and activities seek to inspire a passion for London and provide a sense of the vibrancy that makes the city such a unique place.

The museum is open daily 10am – 6pm and is FREE to all, and you can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added. www.museumoflondon.org.uk.

Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. In the past five years alone Art Fund has given £34 million to help museums and galleries acquire works of art for their collections. It also helps museums share their collections with wider audiences by supporting a range of tours and exhibitions, and makes additional grants to support the training and professional development of curators. Art Fund is independently funded, with the core of its income provided by 151,000 members who receive the National Art Pass and enjoy free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off entry to major exhibitions and subscription to Art Quarterly magazine. In addition to grant-giving, Art Fund’s support for museums includes Art Fund Museum of the Year (won by Tate St Ives in 2018) and a range of digital platforms.

Find out more about Art Fund and the National Art Pass at www.artfund.org