1. Glazer, Jacobson, McCarthy, Roeder, wall label, 2019:
"Mr. Whistler is about to surprise both his friends and his detractors by appearing in the new character of the watercolour artist," a reporter wrote in 1881. London Bridge was not Whistler's first watercolor, but he wanted it understood as his origin story. He sought to position himself as the heir to Britain's watercolor tradition and the preeminent artist of its future.
In technique, London Bridge was among the last watercolors in which Whistler employed underdrawing. It was also one of the last he created with cobalt blue paint. Shortly before traveling to the Channel Islands in 1881, Whistler purchased new watercolor materials and switched to cerulean blue paint, which was less expensive. He used cerulean blue in his seascapes, including Note in Blue and Opal–Jersey.