Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge is a painting by the American artist James McNeill Whistler, now held in the collections of Tate Britain. It was painted around 1872–1875.
This painting is of the old wooden Battersea Bridge across the River Thames before it was replaced by the modern bridge. Chelsea Old Church to the left (on the north bank of the river) and the then recently built Albert Bridge to the right, with fireworks above, can be seen in the distance. The picture is an evening view and is full of atmospheric effect. The bridge is painted taller than it actually was for added effect. Hokusai, a favorite artist of Whistler's from Japan, produced a similar picture of a tall wooden bridge with fireworks.
Whistler's Nocturne series, of which this painting was a part, achieved notoriety in 1877, when influential critic John Ruskin visited an exhibition of the series at the Grosvenor Gallery. He wrote of the exhibition that Whistler was "asking two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face". Whistler sued for libel, the case reaching the courts in 1878.[1] The judge in the case, one Baron Huddleston, caused laughter in the court when he (apparently sincerely) asked Whistler "Which part of the picture is the bridge?" [2] The case ended with Whistler awarded token damages of one farthing.[3]
nocturne, blue, gold, battersea, bridge, painting, american, artist, james, mcneill, whistler, held, collections, tate, britain, painted, around, 1872, 1875, nocturne, blue, gold, battersea, bridgeartistjames, mcneill, whistleryearc, 1872, 1875mediumoil, canva. Nocturne Blue and Gold Old Battersea Bridge is a painting by the American artist James McNeill Whistler now held in the collections of Tate Britain It was painted around 1872 1875 Nocturne Blue and Gold Old Battersea BridgeArtistJames McNeill WhistlerYearc 1872 1875MediumOil on canvasDimensions68 3 cm 51 2 cm 26 7 8 in 20 1 8 in LocationTate Britain LondonThis painting is of the old wooden Battersea Bridge across the River Thames before it was replaced by the modern bridge Chelsea Old Church to the left on the north bank of the river and the then recently built Albert Bridge to the right with fireworks above can be seen in the distance The picture is an evening view and is full of atmospheric effect The bridge is painted taller than it actually was for added effect Hokusai a favorite artist of Whistler s from Japan produced a similar picture of a tall wooden bridge with fireworks The painting was presented to the Tate Gallery by the National Art Collections Fund in 1905 Whistler s Nocturne series of which this painting was a part achieved notoriety in 1877 when influential critic John Ruskin visited an exhibition of the series at the Grosvenor Gallery He wrote of the exhibition that Whistler was asking two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public s face Whistler sued for libel the case reaching the courts in 1878 1 The judge in the case one Baron Huddleston caused laughter in the court when he apparently sincerely asked Whistler Which part of the picture is the bridge 2 The case ended with Whistler awarded token damages of one farthing 3 In 1905 Nocturne Blue and Gold became the first significant acquisition by the newly formed National Art Collections Fund and now hangs in Tate Britain 4 References Edit Steiner Wendy January 1993 A Pot of Paint Aesthetics on Trial in Whistler v Ruskin Art in America retrieved 26 May 2009 Whistler James 1890 The Gentle Art of Making Enemies p 7 retrieved 18 November 2014 Cookson 2006 p 122 Moore Susan 1 November 2003 Guardian of the nation s treasures The Spectator London BibliographyCookson Brian 2006 Crossing the River Edinburgh Mainstream ISBN 1 84018 976 2 OCLC 63400905 External links EditTate Collection information John Singer Sargent Virtual Gallery information This article about a nineteenth century painting is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nocturne Blue and Gold Old Battersea Bridge amp oldid 1083896234, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
