- Description
-
- Creator(s)
- (?) Thomas Girtin (1775-1802) after Thomas Bowles (c.1712-1767)
- Title
-
- The Interior of Westminster Abbey: The Nave Looking East
- Date
- 1790 - 1791
- Object Type
- Drawing for a Print
- Subject Terms
- Gothic Architecture: Cathedral View; London Architecture
-
- Collection
- Catalogue Number
- TG0033
- Description Source(s)
- The original known only from the print
Place depicted
Other entries in Master and Pupil:
Edward Dayes and the Industrious Apprentice
Thomas Girtin, John Frederick Miller
An Icelandic Woman in Her Riding Dress
An Icelandic Woman in Her Riding Dress
National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
An Icelandic Woman with Her Young Daughter
An Icelandic Woman with Her Young Daughter
National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
The Great Geysir, Iceland, as It Appeared during Its Eruption to Sir Joseph Banks in September 1772
The Great Geysir, Iceland, as It Appeared during Its Eruption to Sir Joseph Banks in September 1772
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
Mount Hekla, with Sir Joseph Banks and His Party Descending from the Volcano
Mount Hekla, with Sir Joseph Banks and His Party Descending from the Volcano
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
Lava as It Has Run Over the Ridge of a Hill, Iceland
Lava as It Has Run Over the Ridge of a Hill, Iceland
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, James Miller
The House of Thorstein Jonsson at Hvaleyri, Iceland
The House of Thorstein Jonsson at Hvaleyri, Iceland
National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
A Section of the 'Boiling Fountains' (Geysers) and the Surrounding Country, Iceland
A Section of the 'Boiling Fountains' (Geysers) and the Surrounding Country, Iceland
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, James Miller
The Basalt Pillars near Laugarnes, Iceland
The Basalt Pillars near Laugarnes, Iceland
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, John Cleveley the Younger
An Icelandic Woman in Her Bridal Dress
An Icelandic Woman in Her Bridal Dress
National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Durham Cathedral, from the River Wear
Durham Cathedral, from the River Wear
The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Eton College, from the River
Eton College, from the River
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Malton the Younger
London: Interior of St Stephen Walbrook, Looking East
London: Interior of St Stephen Walbrook, Looking East
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Rochester, from the River Medway
Rochester, from the River Medway
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
St Mary’s Church, Battersea
St Mary’s Church, Battersea
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin
Unidentified Coastal Village, Said to Be Clovelly
Unidentified Coastal Village, Said to Be Clovelly
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
The Monument to Anthony and Anne Forster, Cumnor Church
The Monument to Anthony and Anne Forster, Cumnor Church
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Interior of Buildwas Abbey Church
The Interior of Buildwas Abbey Church
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
Somerset House: The Strand Front and the Royal Academy
Somerset House: The Strand Front and the Royal Academy
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin
An Exterior View of Henry VII’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey
An Exterior View of Henry VII’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, San Marino
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Westminster Bridge, from the North East
Westminster Bridge, from the North East
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin
The Oxford Street Facade of the Pantheon
The Oxford Street Facade of the Pantheon
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Bowles
The Interior of Westminster Abbey: The Nave Looking East
The Interior of Westminster Abbey: The Nave Looking East
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Queen’s Palace, or Buckingham House
The Queen’s Palace, or Buckingham House
Royal Collection Trust (Windsor)
Thomas Girtin
The King’s Mews, Charing Cross
The King’s Mews, Charing Cross
London Metropolitan Archives
Thomas Girtin
The East Front of St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden
The East Front of St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin
The West Front of St Martin-in-the-Fields
The West Front of St Martin-in-the-Fields
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Malton the Younger
The Banqueting House, Whitehall
The Banqueting House, Whitehall
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Thomas Girtin
The Interior of St Paul’s Cathedral: The Nave Looking East
The Interior of St Paul’s Cathedral: The Nave Looking East
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Samuel Wale
St Paul’s Cathedral, from the South West
St Paul’s Cathedral, from the South West
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin
The West Front of St Paul’s Cathedral
The West Front of St Paul’s Cathedral
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Samuel Wale
The West Front of Westminster Abbey
The West Front of Westminster Abbey
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Samuel Wale
Interior of St Stephen Walbrook, Looking East
Interior of St Stephen Walbrook, Looking East
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist
A French Lady of Quality in 1581
A French Lady of Quality in 1581
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist, Thomas Jefferys
Edward VI in 1550
Edward VI in 1550
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist, Thomas Jefferys
A Noble Virgin of Bologna in 1581
A Noble Virgin of Bologna in 1581
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist, Thomas Jefferys
A Persian Lady in 1568
A Persian Lady in 1568
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist, Thomas Jefferys
An English Nobleman in 1559
An English Nobleman in 1559
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist, Thomas Jefferys
Henry VIII in 1520
Henry VIII in 1520
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Marlow, from across the River Thames
Marlow, from across the River Thames
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Tynemouth Priory, from the Coast
Tynemouth Priory, from the Coast
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Thomas Girtin
The River Wensum at Norwich
The River Wensum at Norwich
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Rochester Castle, from the River Medway
Rochester Castle, from the River Medway
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Tintern Abbey, from the River Wye
Tintern Abbey, from the River Wye
Courtauld Gallery, London
Thomas Girtin
All Saints' Church, Fulham, from the Seven Bells, Putney
All Saints' Church, Fulham, from the Seven Bells, Putney
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
London from Highgate Hill
London from Highgate Hill
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Officer and Subaltern
'First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Officer and Subaltern
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Sergeant and Private
'First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Sergeant and Private
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660: Drummer and Private
First Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660: Drummer and Private
Brown University Library, Providence, Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650': Officer and Sergeant
'Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650': Officer and Sergeant
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650': Sergeant and Private
'Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650': Sergeant and Private
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650: Drummer and Corporal
Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1650: Drummer and Corporal
Brown University Library, Providence, Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Officer and Sergeant
'Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Officer and Sergeant
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
'Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Grenadier and Private
'Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660': Grenadier and Private
British Museum, London
Thomas Girtin, Thomas Kirk, Edward Dayes
Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660: Drummer and Private
Third Regiment of Foot Guards, 1660: Drummer and Private
Brown University Library, Providence, Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection
Thomas Girtin
Christ Church, Southwark
Christ Church, Southwark
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Rochester, from the North
Rochester, from the North
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The View from the Great Boathouse, Lake Windermere
The View from the Great Boathouse, Lake Windermere
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
Westminster Abbey and Bridge, from Lambeth
Westminster Abbey and Bridge, from Lambeth
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Dover Mail, Dover Castle in the Distance
The Dover Mail, Dover Castle in the Distance
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Rochester Cathedral and Castle, from the North East
Rochester Cathedral and Castle, from the North East
Eton College, Windsor
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Worcester, from the River Severn
Worcester, from the River Severn
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Lake Windermere and Belle Isle
Lake Windermere and Belle Isle
Wordsworth Grasmere (Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum)
Thomas Girtin
London Bridge, from the South Bank
London Bridge, from the South Bank
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
The Demolition of a Building, Said to Be Part of the Ruins of Old Drury Lane Theatre
The Demolition of a Building, Said to Be Part of the Ruins of Old Drury Lane Theatre
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, James Moore
Dover Castle: The Constable's Tower
Dover Castle: The Constable's Tower
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
A Cottage on the Solent
A Cottage on the Solent
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Hereford Cathedral, from the River Wye
Hereford Cathedral, from the River Wye
Hereford Museum and Art Gallery
Unknown Artist
Chepstow Castle, on the River Wye
Chepstow Castle, on the River Wye
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
John Henderson
Warehouse and Shipping at Wapping
Warehouse and Shipping at Wapping
Leicester Museum & Art Gallery
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
A Distant View of Hereford Cathedral
A Distant View of Hereford Cathedral
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Gatehouse and Barbican, Warwick Castle
The Gatehouse and Barbican, Warwick Castle
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Chepstow Castle, from the River Wye
Chepstow Castle, from the River Wye
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
The Interior of a Ruined Abbey Church
The Interior of a Ruined Abbey Church
Private Collection
Unknown Artist
The Head of Ullswater, from Goborrow Park
The Head of Ullswater, from Goborrow Park
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Unknown Artist
Part of the Ruins of Roche Abbey
Part of the Ruins of Roche Abbey
Private Collection
Unknown Artist
The Transept of St Saviour’s, Southwark
The Transept of St Saviour’s, Southwark
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
Durham Cathedral, from the River Wear
Durham Cathedral, from the River Wear
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Thomas Girtin
All Saints' Church, Marlow
All Saints' Church, Marlow
The Whitworth, The University of Manchester
Thomas Girtin, Michael Rooker
Caesar’s Tower, Warwick Castle
Caesar’s Tower, Warwick Castle
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
A Bronze Age Palstave and a Roman Bow Brooch
A Bronze Age Palstave and a Roman Bow Brooch
Society of Antiquaries of London
Thomas Girtin, Edward Dayes
All Saints' Church, Marlow
All Saints' Church, Marlow
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Unknown Artist
Unidentified Monastic Ruins next to a River
Unidentified Monastic Ruins next to a River
Private Collection
Unknown Artist, Thomas Girtin
Westminster, from the Ruins of the Savoy
Westminster, from the Ruins of the Savoy
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Thomas Girtin, William Orme
Manchester: Chetham’s College from Hunt’s Bank, with the Bridge over the River Irwell
Manchester: Chetham’s College from Hunt’s Bank, with the Bridge over the River Irwell
Untraced Works
Thomas Girtin
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
The Oriel Window of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
The Oriel Window of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin
An Exterior View of Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
An Exterior View of Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
A Distant View of Marlow, from the River Thames
A Distant View of Marlow, from the River Thames
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, San Marino
Thomas Girtin
A Distant View of Marlow, from the River Thames
A Distant View of Marlow, from the River Thames
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Thomas Girtin
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Palace, Westminster Bridge Beyond
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
Buildings in the Process of Demolition, Said to Be the Ruins of the Savoy Palace
Buildings in the Process of Demolition, Said to Be the Ruins of the Savoy Palace
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
An Exterior View of Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
An Exterior View of Part of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
An Interior View of the Ruins of the Savoy Hospital
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin, Joseph Mallord William Turner
St Mary’s Church, Monken Hadley
St Mary’s Church, Monken Hadley
Tate, London
Thomas Girtin
An Exterior View of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
An Exterior View of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Thomas Girtin
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
Private Collection
Thomas Girtin
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
Private Collection
Joseph Mallord William Turner
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
The Interior of the Great Hall of Eltham Palace
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven
Thomas Girtin
St Mary's Church, Putney High Street
St Mary's Church, Putney High Street
Private Collection
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About this Work
Charles Taylor’s (1756–1823) engraved view of the interior of Westminster Abbey looking down the nave to the east end was published on 2 May 1796 in his periodical The Temple of Taste. The original drawing has not been traced; however, given the number of signed watercolours for the publication that survive, it is likely that it too was produced by the young apprentice Girtin. The view from the west door is taken from off centre, inclining to the south aisle, so that the architectural details of the clerestory, gallery and the north aisle can be seen uninterrupted. This is in contrast to the symmetrical central views employed elsewhere in Girtin’s earliest church interiors (such as TG0041), which emphasise the longitudinal view, though this is still evident here. From this point, Taylor argued in the text that accompanies the engraving, viewers might appreciate ‘the very great elevation of the roof, the length of the vista … the “dim religious light” diffused over all’ and how they ‘combine to produce veneration and respect’. Just as important, though less prominent in Taylor’s view, were ‘the rows of monuments to the dead’, which are the focus of attention for many of the figures in the engraving. For Taylor, the church was a ‘sacred repository of … honour’ as well as ‘piety’, a place where visitors might be ‘moved to respect’ and ‘thoughts to seriousness’ by the numerous commemorations of the virtues of their ‘fellow citizens’. A slight shift in the viewpoint therefore helps to enhance the function of the image, adding an extra register of architectural information and emphasising the social function of the space as a place of rational and moral exercise.
If the original drawing was indeed by Girtin, it is likely to have been copied from a print by Thomas Bowles (1688–1767), whose very similar view of the nave was published in 1753 in Perspective Views in and about London (see the source image above). Adapting the image for the new publication would have been a type of task ideally suited to a young but talented apprentice, requiring little more than adapting the composition to a circular format and updating the costume of the figures. The latter are now shown on a consistent scale, though the process of adapting the architectural setting has resulted in minor changes to the south aisle.
1790 - 1791
The Interior of St Paul’s Cathedral: The Nave Looking East
TG0041