Lincoln's Inn Fields

The watercolour depicts a view of Lincoln's Inn Fields, namely the entrance to Sardinia Street renamed from Duke Street in 1878.

On the south side of of the street is the Roman Catholic Chapel S.S. Anselm and Cecilia. It was demolished in the riots of 2 June 1780, and subsequently rebuilt. Dickens references the episode in Barnaby Rudge.

Very little is known about James Lawson Stewart who exhibited watercolours in various London galleries between 1883-1889. He died in c. 1918 and towards the end of life was employed to copy prints of London; the accuracy of some of the locations should therefore be questioned.

The Museum was gifted a large selection of watercolours featuring locations which appeared in Dickens's works in 1934 and a set of cigarette cards was issued by R and J Hill Ltd in 1926 and 1934 entitled Historic Places from Dickens Classics which featured watercolours by Stewart.