The rare first state of Appert’s bird’s-eye view from above the Palace of Westminster, which is still under construction: The Victoria Tower, the Clock Tower, and the ventilator tower of the Houses of Parliament are incomplete.

Hungerford Suspension Bridge, completed 1845 is shown, but Victoria Street, opened 1851, is not. Two mysterious tents are to be seen on the Lambeth waterfront between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. Trains run to Waterloo Station, which opened 1848.

A related drawing, measuring 532 by 1485mm, was auctioned at Christies, 21 June 1974, and a related oil painting measuring 546 by 1498mm was auctioned at Christies on 5 September 2002. This painting was a copy of state (6) (item 35).

‘Chapuis’ is probably a misspelling of Chapuy, meaning the topographical artist Nicolas Marie Joseph Chapuy. The print was one of a series of bird’s-eye views of major European cities, including an ‘Aspect Général de Rome’ by Appert, an ‘Aspect Général de Naples’ by Appert after J.-A. Testard, and an ‘Aspect Général de Paris’ after A. Testard. A bird’s-eye view of St Petersburg is reproduced in Sotheby’s sale catalogue of Russian books, 27 November 2006, where it is described as being by A. Appert after J. Charlemagne: it has a Russian title.