Old Battersea Bridge
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.369
Tags
About this artwork
3, 4
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler’s *Old Battersea Bridge*1879) captures the moody elegance of London’s Thames River, depicting the historic wooden bridge that once spanned the waterway in Battersea. As an American who made his home in Britain, Whistler was a pioneer of the Aesthetic movement, prioritizing and harmony over narrative. This print reflects his fascination with urban landscapes, rendered with a delicate, atmospheric touch that evokes the soft haze of dusk or fog along the river. Created as an etching—a meticulous intaglio printing process where acid bites into a metal plate to form intricat...