St. George's, Bloomsbury
1799
Medium
pen and black ink with gray wash and graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 45.9 x 35.4 cm (18 1/16 x 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of William B. O'Neal
Accession Number
1995.52.118
Art Historical Context
Thomas Malton’s 1799 drawing presents a carefully observed view of St. George’s, Bloomsbury, one of London’s most distinctive eighteenth-century churches. Working in pen and black ink with gray wash and graphite on wove paper, Malton combines crisp architectural lines with delicate tonal shading to convey the’s mass and ornament. The medium, popular for topographical studies at the time, allowed artists to record urban landmarks with both accuracy and atmospheric effect, making such drawings valued as both works of art and historical documents. At roughly 46 by 35 centimeters, the sheet is la...