St. Paul's Cathedral from the Opposite Bank

This view of St Paul's Cathedral, London, would seem to have been drawn from the South Bank of the River Thames, perhaps from an area of St George's Fields close to where the National Theatre is now sited. St George's Fields was a large area of land lying between Lambeth and Southwark and crossed by leafy avenues, providing recreation for Londoners in the late 18th century. It began to be built on with villas in the early 1800s and by the end of the 19th century had been totally covered with housing. The bridge visible in the background is probably Blackfriar's Bridge, which was completed in 1769. This watercolour was previously attributed to the lawyer and Liverpool businessman, William Roscoe, as well as to the artist Joseph Farington.