A General View of London and Westminster.

London, Robt. Sayer, 53 Fleet Street, 1749. . Copper engraving, printed on five sheets, framed and glazed individually (five in all), overall size per frame: 88cm by 38cm.
The magnificent grand panorama of London.
Samuel Buck and his brother Nathaniel are among the finest topographical artists to have worked in England. From 1720 onwards, first Samuel and then the two brothers toured England, drawing views of the cities and towns, castles, antiquities (particularly ruined monasteries) and other landmarks. They financed publication of this bold project by soliciting advance subscriptions.

The crowning achievement of their long career, the most ambitious single view they had undertaken, is this highly important prospect of London taken from the River Thames drawn from five vantage points, and then blended into one continuous panorama, extending from Westminster Bridge downstream to London Bridge and the Tower of London.

The subscription, originally conceived on four sheets, was announced thus,

"London, Feb. 1746.... No. 1. Garden-Court, Middle-Temple. Mess. S. and N. Buck, beg leave to inform those Gentlemen that have favour'd them with their Subscriptions... that for the next Set they propose to publish, viz. four Prospects of the Cities of London and Westminster... Though the Prospects of London, &c. will take much more Time in performing than any of the former Sets, the Subscription will be no more than the former Price, that is, 5s. paid at the Time of Subscribing, and 10s. upon Delivery." - in modern price 25 pence in advanced and fifty pence on delivery! (London Evening Post, 13th - 15th 1746).

Delivery of the finished prints was announced in The London Gazette for 12th - 16th September 1749.

While many other artists - Wenceslas Hollar, Jan Kip and William Morgan, amongst others - had published earlier panoramas from similar viewpoints, these early versions incorporated a great deal of artistic licence to flatter London. The Bucks' image is a faithful rendition, and its size, the detail and its accurate portrayal of London make it a definitive mid-eighteenth century record of London, in an era of rapid change.

Unfortunately, this frontage on the Thames was transformed for ever, with the construction of the London Embankment in the Victorian period.

This change is best exemplified by the two bridges depicted, Westminster Bridge under construction when this image was drawn, one of the keys to the future development of London, while London Bridge retains its mediaeval appearance, with houses, shops and even a watermill on it.

The historical importance of the Buck panorama, its attention to minute detail in the search for accuracy, and its artistic beauty make it one of the most important and collectable of any of the images of historic London.

Adams, London Illustrated, pp128-131; Hyde, A Prospect of Britain, plates 40-44.