John Paul, after Canaletto, 
British 1804-1887 and Italian 1697-1768- 
Northumberland House and...

John Paul, after Canaletto, 
British 1804-1887 and Italian 1697-1768- 

Northumberland House and Charing Cross; 

oil on canvas, 76 x 127 cm. 

Provenance: 
Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 25 October 1940, lot 69 (as 'S. Scott', sold for 31 guineas and 10 shillings). 
The Property of Sir Geoffrey Eastwood, KCVO CBE. 
His sale, Christie's, London, 16 March 1984, lot 46. 

Note: 
Northumberland House (also known as Suffolk House when owned by the Earls of Suffolk) was a large Jacobean townhouse in London, so-called because it was, for most of its history, the London residence of the Percy family, who were the Earls and later Dukes of Northumberland and one of England's richest and most prominent aristocratic dynasties for many centuries. It stood at the far western end of the Strand from around 1605 until it was demolished in 1874. In its later years it overlooked Trafalgar Square.

Canaletto's original painting was completed in 1752 and was conceived during the artist's nine year stay in England. He was commissioned by Sir Hugh Smithson, then 2nd Earl of Northumberland (later the Duke of Northumberland). Smithson was his most important patron during his time in England. The work shows Northumberland House at the middle of the 18th century. On the right of the painting is Hubert Le Sueur's Equestrian statue of Charles I. 

John Paul painted a number of almost identical versions of the same scene, with minor variations in the details of the staffage, including those which sold at Christie's, New York, on 22 May 1992, lot 54 ($57,500 hammer) and on 2 June 1988, lot 106 ($18,700).