"Wandsworth from the opposite bank": "Chelsea Reach" and "Battersea Power Station"

Two pencil drawings by Stephen Chaplin in a series "Wandsworth from the opposite bank": "Chelsea Reach" and "Battersea Power Station". Both dated 11 October 2000.

This object consists of two pencil drawings by Stephen Chaplin in a series "Wandsworth from the opposite bank". They show Battersea from the north bank of the Thames in two parts: one covering the Chelsea Reach area and the other focussing on the power station. Both were drawn in the same afternoon on 11 October 2000, immediately after two other drawings covering the remainder of the south bank at Battersea around Albert Bridge and Battersea Bridge. These are also in the collection. Donald Dewar, the inaugural first minister of Scotland, had died earlier that day and artist’s notes refer to the flag flying at half mast at the National Audit Office (previously the BOAC building) to mark this. The building is at Victoria (behind the artist) and therefore not shown in the drawings.

Chelsea Reach was drawn from a raised seat on Chelsea Embankment at Swan Walk. Battersea Power Station and Chelsea Bridge are shown in the distance on the left. The artist notes that the latter was designed by the LCC architect George Topham Forrest in 1934. The centre background shows Battersea Park with the trees in full foliage (and noted to be still green in October). Amongst the trees can be seen the London Peace Pagoda, erected in 1985. There are boats in the foreground, possibly houseboats, noted to be grey and black with no names visible.

The drawing on the right focuses on Battersea Power Station from Grosvenor Road by Lupus Street. The power station was at that time was derelict, having been decommissioned in 1983, and the windows are described as “vacant”. This in fact comprised two coal-fired power stations in a single building, constructed between 1929 and 1955, creating the iconic four-chimney structure. Work on the redevelopment did not begin until 2014, but cranes can be seen in the drawing.

Materials noted by the artist to have been specifically Saunders Waterford paper and a 3B Castell pencil.