The Falcon Glassworks

This view of the Falcon Glassworks in Holland Street, Blackfriars, is the earliest known detailed painting of an interior of a London glasshouse.

Built around 1820, Falcon Glassworks was the largest glassworks in the city during the early 19th century. The composition focuses on the melting furnace, where a melting pot may be seen in the centre. It is surrounded by glassblowers who are engaged in an array of activities. While some workers shape the melted glass, others blow it to make it hollow. All of the glassworks' employees are men of various ages, the youngest being the little boy in the centre.

Although this is not a sophisticated painting, it successfully recreates the labour-intensive environment of the glassworks and depicts the solidarity among the glassblowers. The dramatic contrast between light and dark serves to emphasise the darkness of the interior, as well as the heat and light emanating from the fire.