Sunday 16 August 2009

Picture: Across The Muddy Banks Of The Thames


Thanks to the person who pointed out this hazy, impressionistic masterpiece of Maidenhead Bridge by JMW Turner - it's even slightly oranjey!
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3 comments:

  1. Elizabeth17 August 2009 at 09:46

    It is orangey! As if he knew you would be needing it for your orangey blog one day.

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  2. Steve Borthwick20 August 2009 at 18:25

    Trivia Fact: I think this bridge had the widest spans in the world when it was built by Brunel; one of the first examples of modelling a structure using mathematics before it was built; luckily he got his sums right!

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  3. Oranjepan20 August 2009 at 19:39

    Hi Steve, yes, indeed apparently Turner was commemorating this fact by chosing to paint it (I believe he concieved the picture when he heard it, but only completed the oil-on-canvas final work six years after the bridge was completed).

    I've also read Turner consulted Brunel on the composition of the painting to design into it certain angles and layers which not only represented the mechanisms of the steam engine, but also would suggest a stronger sense of speed and power.

    He was definitely a master at manipulating images for their effect - for example the road bridge can't actually be seen at that angle from that point of view, so it's not realistic in one sense.

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