A View of the Thames with the York Buildings Water Tower
- Artist: after Samuel Scott
- Date: ?c.1760–70
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 603 x 1095 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the "A View of the Thames with the York Buildings Water Tower" by Samuel Scott (copy). It is an oil on canvas painted around 1760–70, a near‑contemporary reproduction of an earlier Scott scene. The composition places Westminster Abbey centre‑stage, with the rising Houses of Parliament to the left and the Banqueting House in Whitehall to the right. Dominating the foreground is a pyramid‑shaped water tower that supplied the Thames water to the houses on The Strand—an early example of urban infrastructure. A few figures descend steps toward a boat on the right, hinting at the bustle of river traffic. The artist’s line is clear, and the mood feels calm yet busy, a classic example of 18th‑century English cityscape. Scott was heavily influenced by Canaletto, who had painted similar views from a comparable angle, and the copyist likely worked from a version that included the final arch of Westminster Bridge. The painting invites us to see how industry, leisure and daily life intermingled along the Thames, all framed by the architectural landmarks we still recognize today.
See it in person
A View of the Thames with the York Buildings Water Tower is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
