London - World City
Limited edition of 2008 prints 20" (524mm) x 29" (723mm), September 2008.
In February 2007 the artist decided to reacquaint himself with the streets and buildings of the capital city, that he knew well from four previous paintings of London. He spent days walking through the heart of the metropolis with his sketch book and camera to hand. This was to build up his library of images, to chart the architectural changes and to awaken his creative intuitions and deep feelings for this diverse city.
The latest painting contains more prominent buildings and landmarks than have appeared in each of his previous compositions of London. Consequently the work has taken much longer - a full 17 months - to produce. The picture takes you from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, ‘Big Ben’ and through Whitehall, along the Embankment to the City, across to St Pancras, past the BT Tower and south through part of Soho and on into Kensington. The South Bank and Thames feature a little more than in earlier paintings, along with new and some proposed structures which do not yet form part of the skyline.
Stuart now refers to his style as panoriccio (a mixture of panorama and capriccio). The composition is imaginary but he has disciplined himself to make the view plausible so that the juxtaposition of buildings has a certain geographical harmony. The title of London - World City reflects its growing significance in the world of finance, art, literature, theatre, films, fashion and sport. London after 2000 years of history is still continually adapting to change. Its attraction is strong not just for people who live in these isles but people from every corner of the globe. Hosting the Olympics 2012 is just one indication of this great city’s pre-eminence.
The painting has been reproduced as a limited edition of 2008 prints using light fast inks on acid free paper, each is signed and numbered and the image measures approximately 20 by 29 inches. A key of the buildings along with a certificate of authenticity is supplied.