A watercolour view of the Town Hall in Victoria Square, Leeds, with figures in the foreground. Signed at bottom: J.NASH JUNR 1859

The Town Hall was built by Cuthbert Brodrick between 1853-8. On the tympanum are statues of Progress, Art and Commerce by John Thomas, a sculptor patronised by Prince Albert (see RCINs 919774 and 919808 for designs by Thomas for projects at Windsor Castle). The Town Hall was opened by Queen Victoria on 7 September, 1858, accompanied by Albert and two of their daughters (the princesses Alice and Helena), who were en route to Scotland. According to her journal entry for the day, Victoria thought the Town Hall "a really magnificent building of very fine proportions".

Joseph Nash junior was the son of Joseph Nash (1809-78), a watercolour artist who worked frequently for Victoria and Albert in the 1840s and 50s. Nash the elder became ill in 1854 and was unable to undertake commissions; Victoria and Albert may have patronised his son as a way of helping the family.

This watercolour was originally mounted in View Album VIII. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert compiled nine View Albums during their marriage. These albums contained watercolours and drawings documenting their life together and were arranged in chronological order. The albums were dismantled in the early twentieth century and rebound in new volumes both in a different arrangement and with additional items, but a written record of their original contents and arrangement still exists.