Canary Wharf

Stephen Wiltshire. 1988. Pencil on Paper. Signed and dated on bottom of image. Framed and mounted.

Wiltshire drew a number of views of Canary Wharf during the summer and autumn of 1988. With construction commencing at Canary Wharf in 1988, this is an early view of the sprawling complex of high-rise buildings that would emerge from the remnants of London’s docks. The first buildings were completed in 1991, with One Canada Square becoming the tallest building in the United Kingdom until the completion of the Shard in 2012.

Born in London in 1974, Wiltshire’s masterful ability to capture cityscapes was recognised from an early age. Initially non-verbal, drawing became central to his life. Commissioned by Edward Heath to sketch Salisbury Cathedral when he was only eight, Wilshire drew A London Alphabet in 1984, depicting a sequence of London landmark’s for each letter of the alphabet.