A Virtual Exhibition Of London Bridges

Will Noble
By Will Noble Last edited 39 months ago
A Virtual Exhibition Of London Bridges
Parliament and Lambeth Palace, 1978 by Alfred Daniels. City of London Corporation

You might not have seen much of London's bridges lately — you might not have been to many art exhibitions, either.

Put paid to both those things, with a 'visit' to The Thames Bridges in Light and Colour — a virtual exhibition starring the likes of Monet, Turner and Canaletto — and curated by light installation artist Leo Villareal.

Pont de Londres (Charing Cross Bridge, London), 1902 by Claude Monet. National Trust Images

Among the artworks are a mustard-skied Charing Cross abstract by Claude Monet; Alfred Daniels' neat-looking Lambeth Bridge, paired as if purposefully with the bright red of the buses crossing it; and a Fauvist style Blackfriars Bridge, painted by André Derain.

Blackfriars Bridge, 1906 by André Derain. Glasgow Museums

Curator Villareal is the American artist behind Illuminated River — an ambitious project to light up 14 central London river crossings. Four bridges — London, Cannon Street, Southwark and Millenium — are already lit, with more planned in spring 2021.

The Houses of Parliament from the River by James Francis Danby. Victoria and Albert Museum

In The Thames Bridges in Light and Colour, Villareal lays bare his inspirations for many of his bridge illuminations, which will continue to brighten up Londoners' lives after dark.

Last Updated 28 December 2020

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