Page:Catalogue of a collection of early drawings and pictures of London, with some contemporary furniture (1920).djvu/18

 by some of our most famous artists. Until the latter part of the eighteenth century oil pictures of scenes on the Thames were plentiful, Samuel Scott, who was also a marine painter, setting the example. He was a friend of Hogarth, and together they illustrated the account of that frolicsome jaunt to the Isle of Sheppey and back in 1732, which is now in the British Museum. Scott, who was latterly much influenced by Canaletto, founded more or less of a school, some of the pictures usually ascribed to him being perhaps by his followers. Canaletto himself paid us a prolonged visit, and several of his fine London drawings are on our walls. There is also evidence that he designed two oil pictures here exhibited (Nos. 69 and 94), which were previously attributed to Scott. As time went on water-colours by the Sandbys and others gradually came into vogue. Many years before the date to which this exhibition is confined, our predecessors began to take an interest not only in river scenes and great public buildings, but in humbler subjects, such as old houses, and picturesque nooks and corners threatened with destruction. Pennant's "London," of which there are several splendidly extra illustrated copies, helped to encourage these varied tastes, so did Wilkinson's "Londina Illustrata," to name only one later publication, and competent draughtsmen and engravers got something like permanent employment on work of this kind.

We will now say a few words about the great private collections of London topographical prints, drawings, maps and plans, formed many years ago, chiefly of material which comes within the period to which we are limited. Three of these collections are specially famous, and they were brought together by busy men who died within living memory. These were Frederick Crace, to whom we owe the many portfolios catalogued under his name in the Print Room of the British Museum; James Holbert Wilson, whose collection has unfortunately been dispersed, and John Edmund Gardner. It is his amazing collection, far larger than all the rest put together, which has been saved for our interest and instruction