Old Hungerford Bridge
Print
1871 (printed and published), 1861 (etched)
1871 (printed and published), 1861 (etched)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During his formative years in Paris in the 1850s, Whistler was influenced by the injunctions of the poet and theorist Charles Baudelaire that artists should take subjects from 'modern life' and seek a new beauty in the teeming cities. Whistler's first major suite of prints, his 'French Set' brought critical acclaim but disappointing sales. Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the 'etching revival', he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Etching on paper |
| Brief description | Etching by James Whistler, 'Old Hungerford Bridge', from the Thames Set. Etched 1861, published in 'Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames, and Other Subjects', London, 1871. |
| Physical description | Etching by James Whistler, ‘Old Hungerford Bridge’, from the Thames Set. Etched 1861, printed and issued in 1871 as one of the ‘Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames, and Other Subjects,’ by Ellis and Green, 32 King Street, Covent Garden, in editions of one hundred. Signed by the artist in plate. View of Hungerford Pier, the old suspension bridge and the then new railway bridge linking the south bank of the river with Charing Cross Station. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Whistler.' (Signed by the artist in plate bottom right) |
| Object history | 1871 edition. W.80; K.76, 3rd state. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Places depicted | |
| Summary | During his formative years in Paris in the 1850s, Whistler was influenced by the injunctions of the poet and theorist Charles Baudelaire that artists should take subjects from 'modern life' and seek a new beauty in the teeming cities. Whistler's first major suite of prints, his 'French Set' brought critical acclaim but disappointing sales. Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the 'etching revival', he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters. |
| Associated objects |
|
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 24767:6 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
