The Thames at Twickenham
Samuel Scott·1760
Historical Context
The Thames at Twickenham, painted in 1760, depicts the stretch of the river upstream from London that had become fashionable among artists, writers, and aristocrats during the eighteenth century. Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill, Pope at his villa, and numerous other notable residents made the Twickenham reach a cultural landscape that attracted painters seeking more pastoral Thames subjects. Scott's Thames views constitute the most comprehensive pictorial survey of London's riverside ever undertaken by a single artist.
Technical Analysis
The rural Thames setting allows Scott a more relaxed composition than his London views, with gentler light and lusher riverside vegetation. The boats are rendered with his usual care but in a setting that emphasizes leisure rather than commerce.
