The Monument from Gracechurch Street

View of the Monument from Gracechurch Street looking towards Fish Street Hill and old London Bridge, with the Church of St. Magnus the Martyr in the background. This painting shows the wide thoroughfares of eighteenth century London and the bustle of the city. The original Gracechurch Street was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Monument, designed by Dr Robert Hooke and the architect Christopher Wren, was erected between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the fire and the rebuilding of the City. The Monument is a 202 ft tall fluted Doric column coronated by a flaming urn. It’s located next to the bakery owned by the King’s baker, Thomas Farriner, on Pudding Lane, where the fire began the 2nd of September of 1666. It’s a permanent reminder of this unfortunate event but also of the rebirth of the city.
Many reproductions were made after Giovanni Antonio Canal, who was colloquially known as Canaletto. These were in high demand after various British nobles and even King George III started collecting them.