Cheyne Walk, Chelsea

Cheyne Walk, a long, broad walkway running parallel to the River Thames, offered residents a break from the smog-filled air and compact streets of central London. Like the promenades of the city's pleasure gardens, people used Cheyne Walk as a means of taking exercise, showing off their fine clothes and socialising.

This drawing after Rowlandson alludes to the seedy under-side of such spaces. A woman standing with her partner in the foreground is glancing over her shoulder at a gentleman behind while her companion looks on, oblivious to their interaction.

This composition is incorporated into drawing also in the Museum of London (A23094) showing a wider view of Cheyne Walk and the river.