Arches of Westminster Bridge
Samuel Scott·1750
Historical Context
Arches of Westminster Bridge, painted around 1750, celebrates the new bridge that was the most ambitious engineering project in Georgian London. Designed by the Swiss-born engineer Charles Labelye, the bridge's fifteen semicircular arches of Portland stone replaced the ancient ferry crossing and provided Scott with a subject he returned to repeatedly over many years. Scott's repeated depictions of Westminster Bridge make him its most important pictorial chronicler, documenting the bridge from its foundation in 1738 through its completion in 1750 and its subsequent establishment as one of London's defining landmarks.
Technical Analysis
The low viewpoint emphasizes the massive scale of the bridge's arches, with the stonework rendered in careful detail. The play of reflected light on the water beneath the arches demonstrates Scott's sensitivity to the optical effects of the river environment.
