1875
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
London Bridge is a 1875 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a busy river scene with boats of different sizes. In the foreground, two people row a small boat while a larger ship sits near a bridge. The background has horses and riders on a road above the water, and a few buildings peek through the haze. The lines are loose and quick, like a hurried sketch. The artist used drypoint—a sharp tool to scratch into the paper—to create fine, textured lines. This technique lets you see the marks left by the needle, giving the drawing a scratchy, almost sketchy feel. Look up drypoint to see how this method works.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
See the richer artist page
