1880
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ponte del Piovan is a 1880 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a bridge with two people sitting on it, drawn in quick, sketchy lines. The bridge arches over a dark opening, and buildings rise in the background. The artist used lots of cross-hatching—tiny parallel lines—to build up shadows and texture. The bridge’s name is written in the corner: *Ponte del Piovan*. The rough, layered lines suggest the artist was working fast, capturing light and movement over perfect details. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this one use acid and metal plates to create prints.
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
