George Washington Bridge with “B”
(1932)
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2021
© the artist’s estate
- Gallery location
- Late 19th & early 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Howard Cook trained as an artist in New York and took up printmaking in 1925. The George Washington Bridge connecting Manhattan and New Jersey was nearing completion in 1930 when Cook and his wife, Barbara (‘B’), moved back to New York after a period spent travelling. Cook was fascinated by the geometric shapes and repetitive patterns of the bridge’s structure. A famous photo of the bridge by Edward Steichen employs an almost identical vantage point and possibly inspired the view in this lithograph. Taken in 1931, Steichen’s photograph was featured at an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and later became part of an immense photo-mural celebrating the industrial triumph of America.
Artwork Details
inscribed in pencil l.l.: 75 (within circle)
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2021
© the artist’s estate
Level 2, NGV International