When this painting was brought in as evidence during
the Whistler-Ruskin trial, Whistler said 'I did not intend to paint
a portrait of the bridge, but only a painting of a moonlit scene.
As to what the picture represents, that depends upon who looks at
it'. The stylised treatment of the wooden bridge, which is actually
much lower than it looks here, was based on Whistler's collection
of Japanese prints.
Battersea Bridge was demolished in 1881 and re-opened
in 1890. The newly built Albert Bridge, which opened to public in
1873, is just visible in the distance.
The Morgan Crucible Tower in Battersea, known as Morgan's
Folly, was a recurring motif in Whistler's Nocturnes. The glowing
clock attached to the building is just visible in this painting.
In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Thames
by day, Whistler chose to paint the city in the quietest hours of
the night. He employed a local boatman to row him onto the river,
where he would sometimes stay all night sketching. When he returned
to the studio Whistler would paint the scene from memory.
James McNeill Whistler Nocturne in Grey and Silver 1873-5
Oil on canvas Lent by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, John G Johnson
Collection, 1917
Whistler's Thames Lithographs:Nocturne: The River at Battersea
Whistler was an accomplished printmaker, and here
uses lithography to evoke the ethereal effects of mist on the Thames
at night. He creates painterly effects by applying a black liquid
called tusche to the stone. The print medium was a useful tool to
spread artists' reputations, and was successfully employed by Turner
throughout much of his career.
Rather than produce views of the famous buildings
and monuments in London, Whistler often chose to record the more
mundane areas around Chelsea and Battersea, near to where he lived.
In these two prints the steeple of St Mary's Church can be seen
amongst the silhouettes of factory buildings and industrial works
in Battersea.
James McNeill Whistler Nocturne: The River at Battersea
1878
Lithograph on paper. Lent by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
Gift of Mr Arthur Gelber, in memory of Mrs Esther Gelber, 1984
Whistler's Thames Lithographs:Early Morning
James McNeill Whistler Early Morning 1878
Lithotint on paper. Lent by the Art Institute of Chicago. Mansfield-Whittemore-Crown
Collection on deposit at the Art Institute of Chicago
Whistler painted this view from the second floor
of the house in what is now Cheyne Walk, where he'd moved a few
months earlier. He makes no attempt to idealise the muddy river
banks, the dilapidated wooden bridge or the working men in the foreground.
Clearly visible on the far shore are industrial buildings,
including a lead works, an iron foundry, a chemical works and a
timber yard. The smoke and haze they produced awakened Whistler's
interest in atmospheric effects, marking his first steps towards
a new understanding of landscape painting that would, a decade later,
result in Impressionism.
James McNeill Whistler Brown and Silver: Old Battersea Bridge
1863
Oil on canvas. Lent by the Addison Gallery of American Art, Philips
Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. Gift of Cornelius N Bliss
This view, also painted from the second floor of
Whistler's house, extends further east the view begun in the painting
shown above. The industries visible here include saw mills, a timber
yard, turpentine works and a chemical works.
At this time the air in London consisted of a dense
mixture of fog and coal smoke. The chimney stacks on the far bank
belonged to the Morgan Crucible Company, who had several years earlier
been fined for producing too much smoke. All contributed to Whistler's
growing preoccupation with the effects of light and atmosphere on
apparently solid objects.
James McNeill Whistler Grey and Silver: Old Battersea Reach
1863
Oil on canvas. Lent by the Art Institute of Chicago. Gift of Honoré
and Potter Palmer
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