Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 16 works by William Marlow in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals William Marlow left, the most famous is View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo (1777). Close behind it come View of the Saône and the Château Pierre-Scize (Lyon, France) (1750) and The Temple Of Venus , Bay Of Baiae (1775). Our catalog holds 16 works by William Marlow; the gallery has kept the 16 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo by William Marlow captures a specific slice of the Italian coastline. Painted about 1777, the composition focuses on the waters and cliffs surrounding the Bay of Naples from the vantage point of Posillipo. The scene is anchored by the presence of the Vomero Hill, which rises above the coastal activity. Beyond this elevation, the Monastery of San Martino and the Castel Sant'Elmo…
View of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, looking East1786 · Basildon Park
12
Distant View of Windsor Castle1806 · Anglesey Abbey
13
View near NaplesFitzwilliam Museum
14
San Giorgio MaggioreArt Gallery of New South Wales
15
Capriccio: St Paul’s and a Venetian Canal1795
16
Whitehall1775 · Yale Center for British Art
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by William Marlow | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 3 | St. Paul's and Blackfriars Bridge, View on the River Thames at Richmond, Whitehall |
 Minneapolis Institute of Art |
Minneapolis | 2 | View of the Saône and the Château Pierre-Scize (Lyon, France), Castle on the Rhne River, France |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 2 | The Temple Of Venus , Bay Of Baiae, The Thames At Richmond |
 Basildon Park |
2 | View of San Nicolò di Castello, Venice, View of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, looking East | |
 Scottish National Gallery |
Edinburgh | 1 | A View of the Château de Pierre Scize on the river Saône at Lyon |
 Anglesey Abbey |
1 | Distant View of Windsor Castle | |
 Fitzwilliam Museum |
1 | View near Naples | |
 Art Gallery of New South Wales |
Sydney | 1 | San Giorgio Maggiore |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo by William Marlow captures a specific slice of the Italian coastline. Painted about 1777, the composition focuses on the waters and cliffs surrounding the Bay of Naples from the vantage point of Posillipo. The scene is anchored by the presence of the Vomero Hill, which rises above the coastal activity. Beyond this elevation, the Monastery of San Martino and the Castel Sant'Elmo…
View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo (1777). View of the Saône and the Château Pierre-Scize (Lyon, France) (1750) and The Temple Of Venus , Bay Of Baiae (1775) come next.
37 years old: View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo dates from 1777, and William Marlow was born in 1740.
View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo, View of the Saône and the Château Pierre-Scize (Lyon, France), The Temple Of Venus , Bay Of Baiae, The Thames At Richmond, View on the Thames, A View of the Château de Pierre Scize on the river Saône at Lyon, St. Paul's and Blackfriars Bridge, Castle on the Rhne River, France, View on the River Thames at Richmond and View of San Nicolò di Castello, Venice. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 16 works by William Marlow, dated from 1750 to 1806.
Mostly in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1770s: 9 of the 16 works on this page were made then, View of the Bay of Naples from Posillipo among them.
On this page, the earliest is View of the Saône and the Château Pierre-Scize (Lyon, France) (1750) and the latest Distant View of Windsor Castle (1806).
St. Paul's and Blackfriars Bridge, View on the River Thames at Richmond and Whitehall: the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven holds 3 of the works on this page.
Born in Southwark, London, William Marlow emerged as a distinguished figure in the late eighteenth-century art world, carving out a niche as an English landscape and marine painter and etcher. His artistic journey began under the mentorship of the marine painter Samuel Scott, with whom he studied for five formative years. This early training provided him with a foundational understanding of the sea and light, which would later define much of his repertoire. Seeking to refine his classical sensibilities, Marlow also attended the St. Martin's Lane Academy, an education that helped shape his ability to translate the natural world onto canvas and paper.
Marlow’s career was marked by a deep connection to both the British landscape and the vistas of continental Europe. On the advice of the Duchess of Northumberland, he embarked on a significant period of travel through France and Italy between 1765 and 1768. These journeys were not merely excursions but essential periods of artistic development, providing him with a wealth of sketches and impressions that would later inform his more mature works. Upon returning to London, he established himself within the city's vibrant artistic community, eventually taking up residence in Leicester Square.
The work of William Marlow is characterized by a delicate touch and an observant eye, particularly when capturing the shifting moods of water and sky. His technical repertoire was diverse, encompassing oils, watercolours, drawing, and etching. While some contemporary critics noted that his watercolour method leaned toward a more subtle tinting rather than bold structural advancement, they nonetheless praised the truthfulness and delicate colour found in his views of the Thames. His influence was clearly drawn from masters such as Richard Wilson and Canaletto, a fact evident in his ability to compose architectural fantasies and serene topographical scenes.
His subject matter often bridged the gap between the local and the exotic. He was frequently employed to paint views of country houses and contributed significantly to the documentation of Kew Gardens, producing watercolours for William Chambers's designs. Beyond the English countryside, his Italian sketches allowed him to explore more Mediterranean themes, even venturing into the realm of the capriccio—an architectural fantasy where he famously transposed St Paul's Cathedral into a Venetian setting. Whether engraving the bridges of Westminster and Blackfriars or capturing the moonlight over a ferry in Twickenham, Marlow possessed a unique ability to render both the monumental and the intimate.
Throughout his life, Marlow was an active participant in the institutional life of British art. He was a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists and later became a Fellow of the Society of Artists in 1771. His presence at major exhibitions was a constant, contributing to the exhibitions in Spring Gardens during the early 1760s and exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy from the late eighteenth century until the early nineteenth century. His prolific output is evidenced by his total exhibition record, which includes:
Today, the historical significance of William Marlow is preserved through the enduring presence of his works in some of the world's most prestigious institutions. His ability to document the changing landscapes of his era ensures that his legacy remains a vital part of the English maritime and landscape tradition. Collectors and historians can find his traces in the following collections:
