‘The River Thames by Moonlight’ by Henry Pether (1800-1880).

The painting – which depicts an extensive nocturnal view of London from the Temple to St Paul’s Cathedral and Blackfriars Bridge under a full moon – is signed by the artist and dated 1861.

Henry Pether studied under his father, the eminent Georgian painter Abraham Pether (1756-1812). His exceptional draftsmanship and attention to detail, his lighting effects in the halftones and accents, and subtle colouring mark Henry Pether out as one of the finest painters of what would come to be known as “nocturnes”; atmospheric topographical scenes captured at dusk and illuminated by natural or artificial light sources.

Between 1828 and 1865 Henry Pether exhibited at the Royal Academy, the British Institution, and the Royal Society of British Artists. Today, paintings by Henry Pether are held in the collections of Tate Britain, the City of London, the Royal Museums Greenwich, and the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut.

• For much more about the life and work of the artist see 'Henry Pether and the 19th Century Nocturne' on our News & Articles page.

Dimensions: (framed) 75cm x 115cm (29½” x 41¼”)

Dimensions: (canvas only) 56cm x 97cm (22” x 38”)

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Provenance: Private UK collection.

Presentation: Fine quality gold metal leaf frame.

Condition: Very good. Newly professionally cleaned and re-varnished. Ready to hang.