The Bridge
Albert Pinkham Ryder American
Better known for his evocative easel paintings, Ryder worked in the applied arts in the late 1870s and early 1880s, mainly for Cottier & Co., the Aesthetic decorating firm established in New York in 1873. Only a few examples of this design work remain, such as mirror frames (including one commissioned by Charles de Kay, brother of Helena de Kay, art critic for the New York Times, and key supporter of Ryder and other New Movement artists) as well as fragments of screens and cabinet panels. This imaginative panoramic landscape painted on gilded leather may have been intended as ornament for furniture. It combines New York scenery familiar to Ryder: a bit of the skyline as seen from Central Park and the High Bridge that spans the Harlem River.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.