This painting of the Capital was based on the view from the roof of the Borough Polytechnic Institute in Southwark, now London South Bank University. After a traditional art school education, Richmond studied under the artist David Bomberg at the Polytechnic. Bomberg's teaching is now routinely described as 'legendary' and proved to be the turning point in Richmond's artistic life. Bomberg encouraged him to capture 'the spirit in the mass' – where the physical properties of the paint and of light produce an effect where the essence of the subject is shown. Richmond would later recall that he was at first suspicious of Bomberg’s approach to teaching, but that he was won over by his 'deep seriousness'. Frank Auerbach, his fellow pupil at the Borough Polytechnic, described Richmond as 'a fervent, pure and educated artist'.