Greenwich, with London in the distance

Jan Vorsterman, ca. 1643–after 1685

ca. 1680

Oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art

A panoramic view of Greenwich and London from a hilltop at sunset. A group of figures walks along a path in the foreground, with a grand building and a river filled with ships in the middle ground. At the center of this canvas, a carriage arrives at or departs from the park entrance of the Queen’s House, designed by Inigo Jones. There, in about 1673, the Willem van de Veldes, father and son, were given studio rooms on the ground floor and proceeded to create drawings, paintings, and tapestry designs for British patrons. Jan Vorsterman represents Greenwich in a state of change: the site of the long-established Greenwich Royal Park and a fashionable resort, it has a new classical-style palace in progress for King Charles II (later repurposed as the Royal Hospital for Seamen). To the right, behind the ruined towers flanking Henry