The London Panorama: St Paul's Cathedral from the south east

This dramatic watercolour by Lawrence Wright depicts St Paul's Cathedral in the wake of the Blitz, a sustained bombing campaign on the capital which took place at the beginning of the 1940s.

Seen from the south-east, the monumental structure of St. Paul's contrasts with the landscape strewn with rubble in the foreground. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century, St. Paul's became a symbol of the nation's hope in the face of war with Germany. This is one of seven drawings which formed ' The London Panorama'.

While St. Paul's Cathedral remained largely unscathed during the bombings on London, other parts of the city were not so fortunate. Thousands of buildings and homes were devastated by the air raids.The raids took place with great frequency during 1940 and 1941 and Wright's watercolour provides a stark reminder of their devastating effect on the capital.

A painter, etcher and architect, Wright ( 1906-83) was also a writer on buildings and environments. This drawing demonstrates his skill at depicting architectural subjects. It is one of a number of works by him in the Museum of London's collection. Born in Bristol, Wright studied at Liverpool School of Architecture in the late 1920s. Before completing his studies, Wright began to exhibit his works and went on to show at London's Royal Academy and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.