Thomas Allom was a watercolourist and architect known for several churches in London and for his collaborations with Charles Barry on the Houses of Parliament. He was most celebrated for his topographical studies, many of them made abroad and used to illustrate books on travel. Queen’s Park, Brighton was commissioned from Allom by the prominent Brighton solicitor Thomas Attree. In 1825 Attree bought Brighton Park on the edge of the town and made plans for a speculative estate of houses there. Charles Barry, who designed a villa for Attree on the edge of the park, may have been the architect for the estate. Allom’s watercolour shows how Attree intended the park to look. Attree applied to have the park renamed Queen’s Park in honour of Queen Adelaide and the maple frame bears the monograms of William IV and the queen. The painting descended directly from Attree to the most recent owners and now enters the collection of Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton.

Provenance

Commissioned by Thomas Attree (1778-1863); thence by descent to Howlett Clarke solicitors; sold Bonhams 2017.