St James's House

The series of plates published by Mortier and Joseph Smith under the title 'Britannia Illustrata' or 'Nouveau Theatre de la Grande Bretagne', of which this engraving of St James Palace forms a plate, are extremely complicated. The first volume was published in 1707 under the title 'Britannia Illustrata', and contained 80 plates all by Kip, after Knyff, commissioned by Mortier. It was re-printed in numerous later editions until 1749. The whole work was important for the depiction of birds-eye views of country estates and of London palaces, public buildings and churches.

Many of the engravings were produced by Johannes Kip, born in Amsterdam in 1653 derived from drawings by Leonard Knyff born in Haarlem in 1650 who were both living in Westminster by the 1690s, part of a Dutch influx after the accession of William and Mary. This particular view of St James Palace looks west towards the city and became the principal residence of these monarchs after Whitehal Palace was destroyed by fire in 1698.