London · 2024
London Bridge 3/5 is the third in a series of 5 paintings I created during my visit to London.
The subject
Third of the series, and here I wanted the bridge as part of the Thames itself — the red stone, the blue water, the whole thing settling into the river that made London.
London exists because of its river, and this stretch — the old Pool of London, just below the Tower — was once the crowded gateway where the world’s ships unloaded. Tower Bridge was built, in part, to let them keep coming while still carrying a road across.
Beside it stands the Tower of London, which is why the bridge was clothed in medieval-looking stone rather than bare Victorian iron.
So in this sheet the water does as much work as the bridge: a broad wash of blue with the span riding over it.
The bridge and the river are one thing really — I let the blue carry as much of the picture as the stone.
The towers are a warm red against cool water; the ink keeps their outline crisp while the washes run loose beneath.
Third of five — the bridge given back to the river it belongs to.
See also · London London Bridge 1/5 · London Bridge 2/5 · London Big Ben small