Westminster Bridge and the Burning of the Houses of Parliament from Lambeth

Thomas Luny's painting depicts the fire which destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster during the night of 16 October 1834. As the strong south-westerly wind blows smoke over Westminster, spectators watch the scene unfold from boats on the river and coaches on Westminster Bridge. To the right of the composition are Westminster Hall and Westminster Abbey, both untouched by the flames.

It is extremely unlikely that the artist was an eye-witness of the event. The painting could easily have been executed from images depicting this stretch of the river, slightly adapted to show the fire which is well hidden behind the arches of the bridge.