The Bridge in Curve
Encyclopedia
The Bridge in Curve is a 1930
painting by Australian artist Grace Cossington Smith
. The painting depicts the Sydney Harbour Bridge
during its construction. It is now considered one of Australia's best modernist paintings, but it was rejected from an exhibition in 1930.
Since 1967 the painting has been part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria
in Melbourne
.
, Smith painted The Bridge in Curve, which is based on drawings made at Milsons Point
on the North Shore, during an important phase of her career as an artist, when the importance of colour and the application of paint in small strokes gave her paintings a "brilliant vitality". Smith had become interested in colour theory
and used this painting as an opportunity to demonstrate it with the blue and white of the sky contrasting with the more earthy colours of the buildings and vegetation.
and reduce water traffic. A Royal Commission reported on the potential for a link in 1909, and ground was finally broken on the 28 July 1923. September 1926 saw the completion of the piers that would support the spans approaching the arch. Construction of the arch started on each shore in 1928, and they met for the first time on 19 August 1930. The bridge opened to the public in 1932.
The Bridge in Curve has since been identified as "one of Australia's most significant modernist paintings". It was described as a masterpiece of bridge painting by Ursula Prinster, curator of a 1982 Art Gallery of New South Wales
exhibition on paintings of the Harbour bridge. Others have provided fuller descriptions of the painting's qualities:
The contrast between the bridge and its surroundings is highlighted by art historians. The differentiation between the distant, obscure shore, and the blocks of colour in the foreground, with the detailed and delicate depiction of the bridge's struts and girders has been noted, the bridge seeming to rise above the chaos below.
1930 in art
-Events:*Malvina Hoffman begins sculpting life-size figures for the Field Museum's Hall of Man.*Great Bardfield Artists community established in England.-Works:*Pierre Bonnard - Pots*Patrick Henry Bruce - Peinture...
painting by Australian artist Grace Cossington Smith
Grace Cossington Smith
Grace Cossington Smith AO OBE was an Australian artist and pioneer of modernist painting in Australia and was instrumental in introducing Post-Impressionism to her home country...
. The painting depicts the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
during its construction. It is now considered one of Australia's best modernist paintings, but it was rejected from an exhibition in 1930.
Since 1967 the painting has been part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Background
According to the National Gallery of AustraliaNational Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, Smith painted The Bridge in Curve, which is based on drawings made at Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
on the North Shore, during an important phase of her career as an artist, when the importance of colour and the application of paint in small strokes gave her paintings a "brilliant vitality". Smith had become interested in colour theory
Color theory
In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , a tradition of "colory theory"...
and used this painting as an opportunity to demonstrate it with the blue and white of the sky contrasting with the more earthy colours of the buildings and vegetation.
Construction of the bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge was built to better connect the North Shore suburbs with SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and reduce water traffic. A Royal Commission reported on the potential for a link in 1909, and ground was finally broken on the 28 July 1923. September 1926 saw the completion of the piers that would support the spans approaching the arch. Construction of the arch started on each shore in 1928, and they met for the first time on 19 August 1930. The bridge opened to the public in 1932.
Reception
Upon completion the painting was rejected from the Society of Artists exhibition of 1930. The painting was only purchased for the National Gallery of Victoria in 1967, which has been criticised as indicative of the neglect of Cossington Smith's work.The Bridge in Curve has since been identified as "one of Australia's most significant modernist paintings". It was described as a masterpiece of bridge painting by Ursula Prinster, curator of a 1982 Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
exhibition on paintings of the Harbour bridge. Others have provided fuller descriptions of the painting's qualities:
The contrast between the bridge and its surroundings is highlighted by art historians. The differentiation between the distant, obscure shore, and the blocks of colour in the foreground, with the detailed and delicate depiction of the bridge's struts and girders has been noted, the bridge seeming to rise above the chaos below.