''High Street, Oxford'' is an

oil painting Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...

by J. M. W. Turner that was exhibited in 1810. The painting shows a view looking west along the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

, a major street in central

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, England, with

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

on the left,

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...

on the right, and the spires of All Saints Church (now the library of Lincoln College, centre) and St Mary's Church (the

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

church, centre right). In the distance is the tower of St Martin's Church (marking the centre of Oxford, now known as

Carfax Tower Carfax is the junction of St Aldate's (south), Cornmarket Street (north), Queen Street (west) and the High Street (east) in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city. The name "Carfax" derives from the Latin ''quadrifurcu ...

since the rest of the church has been demolished). Originally, the painting was commissioned by

James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806. Early life W ...

. He intended to have it engraved and sold as a print at his shop, located at 115 High Street in Oxford. The painting is now exhibited at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. In 2015, there was a campaign to raise money for the purchase of the picture (estimated value £3.5 million) since previously it was on long-term loan to the museum from a private collection since 1997. It was left to the nation in lieu of death duties. The painting was acquired using grants of £550,000 from the UK

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

, £220,000 from the UK Art Fund, and £30,000 from the Friends and Patrons of the Ashmolean Museum.

Thomas Malton __NOTOC__ Thomas Malton (1748 – 7 March 1804; also known as Thomas Malton the Younger), was an English painter of topographical and architectural views, and an engraver. J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Girtin were amongst his pupils. He is de ...

, who taught Turner, also painted a similar painting.

Similar views

File:Thomas Malton the Younger - High Street, Oxford - Google Art Project.jpg, High Street by the 18th-century painter

. File:High Street, Oxford, 1803 (Maps K.Top 34.23.a).jpg, A similar view to the painting in 1803. File:High Street, Oxford, 1820 (Maps K.Top 34.23.b).jpg, View in 1820. File:Views of Oxford (1873) - 3.tif, View in 1873. File:Oxford QE3 61.jpg, A photographic view in the late 1890s. File:Myles Birket Foster The High Oxford.jpg, View in 1899 by

Myles Birket Foster Myles Birket Foster (4 February 1825 – 27 March 1899) was a British illustrator, watercolourist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster. Life and work Foster was born in North Shiel ...

(1825–1899). File:High Street, Oxford - geograph.org.uk - 1330398.jpg, Modern photographic view.

Similar views

References

Further reading