STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition, with no apparent damage or loss of paint. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered very minor retouching and infilling to craquelure, predominantly in the sky, and in the lower right corner. There is a slightly discoloured varnish overall. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@laitexier.com, or Emmeline Hallmark on 44 (0)207 293 5407, or at emmeline.hallmark@laitexier.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present painting is a rare and fascinating depiction of London  circa 1660-1665, after the Restoration and before the Great Fire. Viewed from acr🦹oss the Thames, on the left can be seen the old P𝔍alace of Westminster, whilst on the right the Banqueting House at Whitehall looms large behind the shoreline buildings. Of particular note is not only the expanse of the river, but the density of the traffic upon it, the importance of the river as the main thoroughfare of city before London was remodelled in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The amassed panoply of shipping seen in the present painting, as well as their decoration, suggests that this is something more than just everyday traffic,and suggests that the painting commemorates a particular event. The serried ranks of Livery Company barges, bedecked with the fluttering banners of their guilds, indicate that the picture most likely depicts the Lord Mayor's Procession; the annual parade, which dates back to 1535, when the new Lord Mayor of London processed by river from the City to Westminster to be sworn into office before the Barons of the Exchequer and presented to the King. In the centre of the painting is one of the Royal yacht's, possibly the Royal Escape, which fires a salute as the flotilla passes Whitehall. The Royal Escape was originally a collier, named Surprise, which Charles used to escape from England when he fled the country in 1646 during the Civil War, joining his mother in France at the court of his first cousin, the eight year old Louis XIV. After the Restorati🦩on Charles bought and renamed the vessel, mooring her opposite the Palace of Whitehall. A number of drawings and a painting of the vessel by Willem van de Velde survive in the collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

Canaletto, when he came to England in 1746, painted several similar views of the Thames with the Lord Mayor's Procession, at least one of which is🉐 set at Westminster (Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven). The scene is remarkably similar in the depiction of livery barges and the proliferation of smaller craft. Canaletto's view even depicts a yacht firing a salute, almost identical to that represented in the present painting. The present painting, however, pre-date⛦s the work of the Venetian master by almost a century, and provides a fascinating and important early record of the ceremonial life of the capital.