Artwork
Harlem Bridge, New York
Harlem Bridge, New York is an oil painting. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the boat suggests activity on the water, while the trees and bridge establish the geographical context of the Harlem region.
Harlem Bridge, New York, created in 1850, is an oil-on-canvas landscape painting attributed to A. P. Waite. The composition centers on the Harlem Bridge, a key structural element spanning the depicted waterway. Surrounding the bridge, the scene includes a boat navigating the river and trees that frame the natural setting.
As a landscape painting, the work captures a specific view of the New York area during the mid-nineteenth century, documenting the intersection of infrastructure and nature. The inclusion of the boat suggests activity on the water, while the trees and bridge establish the geographical context of the Harlem region. The painting serves as a visual record of the area's development and scenic character at that time.
Technique & Style
Created in 1850, Harlem Bridge, New York is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work, attributed to A. P. Waite, measures 40.6 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. Stylistically, it functions as a landscape painting that depicts a bridge, trees, and a boat within its composition.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The application of oil paint on canvas allows for the rendering of these specific landscape elements, characteristic of mid-19th-century American painting practices.
History & Provenance
Harlem Bridge, New York is an oil-on-canvas painting attributed to A. P. Waite, created in 1850 and measuring 40.6 × 63.5 cm (16 × 25 in). The work, classified as a painting, depicts a landscape featuring a bridge, trees, and a boat. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains on view.
The painting’s provenance traces directly to its acquisition by the museum, with no earlier ownership recorded in the available documentation. Its creation history is documented through its material (oil paint on canvas) and dimensions, confirming it was produced in the mid‑19th century.
The painting Harlem Bridge, New York is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued under accession number 64.183.1. The work was first publicly exhibited in 1964 as part of the museum’s acquisition display, and it has remained in the museum’s holdings since that time.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Harlem Bridge, New York, presents a tranquil landscape scene. It features a bridge gracefully arching over a body of water, flanked by lush trees and dotted with a few small boats. The artist employs a palette of muted tones, contributing to the overall serene atmosphere of the depiction. The composition invites contemplation of the natural and man-made elements coexisting peacefully.
Artist & collection
- View on the Hudson
Mondscheinlandschaft (Art des)
Landschaft
Landscape with Canal at Dusk
Canal landscape near Liesveld
The Monument to Alexander Hamilton at Weehawken
Old Homestead
Wooded Landscape with a River
View of Baltimore from Beech Hill
Prospekt fra Dronninggård over Furesøen. I forgrunden øen Chevallier med det kinesiske lysthus
View on the Hudson River (Copy after Engraving by Weld and S. Springsguth in Weld, Travels Through the States of North America, 1807)
Bay and Harbor of New York from Bedlow's Island
