1880
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Bridge, Santa Marta is a 1880 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, depicting Grand Canal, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a simple wooden bridge over calm water. A few dark figures walk across it. The lines are sharp and delicate, like pencil sketches. Whistler made many views of bridges and water. He liked showing quiet, everyday scenes. Drypoint lets him scratch lines right into the metal plate, which makes fuzzy edges that feel soft. Look for how the light dances on the water. It’s easy to miss how much detail hides in the shadows. Check out Whistler, James McNeill next.
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
