The Broad Bridge / James McNeill Whistler

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Record Details

Accession Number
1954/1.417
Title
The Broad Bridge
Artist Nationality
American
Artist Life Dates
1834-1903
Object Creation Date
1878
Object Creation Place
North and Central America (continent)
United States (nation)
Creation Place 2
United States (nation)
Inscription
On the stone: Butterfly monogram Collector's stamp: on verso, T.R.W. (in rectangle) Thomas Robert Way. Lugt 2456.
Dimensions
28.4 cm x 43.4 cm (11 3/16 in. x 17 1/16 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Print
Physical Description
A man in a small boat with oars sits in front of a bridge, a pier of which is just behind and to the left of the boat. The viewer is also positioned on the water as only the bottom of the span is visible. Several other piers, also framed and clad with wood to protect against collision are visible on either side of the image. The distant view, seen between the piers, include a suspension bridge to the left of the central pier and the tower of a church or other buildings to the right.
Subject Matter
Whistler's interest in Asian art, particular Japanese woodblock prints, can be seen in this view of the old Battersea Bridge. The low vantage point, truncated span of the bridge, and the form of the boatman are all inspired by prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai.
Battersea Bridge was the last remaining wooden bridge in London when Whistler painted it and was itself slated for demolition and replacement. Like many of the warehouses and sites depicted in his Thames Set which were also scheduled for elimination as part of an urban renewal project, the old Battersea Bridge evoked a nostalgia for the passing of an era.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
1319 x 845
File Size
148 KB
Record
1954/1.417
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.417/1954_1.417.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1954-SL-1.417:1954_1.417.JPG

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Full citation
"The Broad Bridge; James McNeill Whistler." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.417/1954_1.417.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
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