Central Tudor London panorama displayed in a black frame on a brick wall
Tudor panorama of Old London Bridge, Southwark, St Mary Overies and the City skyline
Detail of houses on Old London Bridge and St Mary Overies beside the Southwark approach
Western section of the Tudor London panorama displayed in a black frame on a brick wall Panorama of London 1543 (1) £39.95
Framed eastern section of Wyngaerde’s Tudor London panorama displayed on a brick wall Panorama of London 1543 (3) £39.95

Panorama of London 1543 (2)

£39.95

Panorama of Tudor London after Anthonis van den Wyngaerde — Section 2

Old London Bridge is the centrepiece of this section, stretching from Southwark towards the crowded City. Houses line the crossing, while boats and sailing vessels occupy the Thames on either side. It is a very different bridge from the open roadway familiar today.

St Mary Overies, the church now known as Southwark Cathedral, stands prominently on the nearer bank. Streets lead towards the bridge through a mixture of substantial buildings, smaller houses and gardens. Across the water, old St Paul’s rises at the left, with many church towers breaking up the City’s dense roofscape.

Look closely at the bridge buildings and the long rows of gabled houses. The open plots and trees in the foreground provide a contrast to the tightly packed north bank. The view gives individual buildings a presence that would be lost in a conventional street plan.

This is the central section of the three-part panorama offered in our collection. Reproduced as a fine art print, it makes a particularly appealing view for anyone interested in London Bridge, Southwark or the capital’s Tudor skyline.

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The central panorama section brings Old London Bridge and its Southwark approach into the foreground. The City spreads across the opposite bank, with its many churches rising above the houses. The image combines a wide river view with close architectural detail, making the bridge and the streets around it the natural focus.

Map Details

  • Original panorama title: London, Westminster and Southwark as They Appeared in 1543
  • Original draughtsman: Anthonis van den Wyngaerde
  • Original studies: About 1544; traditionally titled 1543
  • Version reproduced: A later reproduction of the Tudor panorama; the precise reproduction issue is not established
  • Section: 2 of three sections offered in this collection
  • Area shown: Old London Bridge, Southwark and the City of London
  • Print size: 29.5″ × 17″

A bridge lined with buildings

The crossing is drawn as a built-up street over the river. Its houses, gates and supporting piers give it a substantial architectural presence. Seen at an angle, the bridge links the near-bank streets with the City waterfront and draws the eye into the wider scene.

Small boats share the Thames with larger sailing vessels. Their different sizes and positions help convey the breadth of the river, while the bridge’s closely grouped buildings emphasise the contrast between open water and crowded streets.

Southwark in the foreground

St Mary Overies stands beside the bridge approach, with its tower clearly visible. Nearby houses, larger residences and garden plots give the south bank a varied appearance. The contemporary names Winchester House and Rochester House, identified in the published commentary on this section, refer to the residences of the respective bishops.

Across the water, the City forms a dense band of roofs punctuated by towers and spires. Old St Paul’s appears at the left of the section. The panorama lets the viewer compare the scale of its great churches with the smaller buildings around them.

The date behind the traditional title

Wyngaerde drew the original panorama in the sixteenth century. The title uses 1543, but the Government Art Collection dates his studies to about 1544. This fine art print reproduces a later published version of that Tudor drawing; its precise publication date has not been established.

Supplied unframed. This central section can be displayed individually or with the adjoining western and eastern sections.

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