About this work
Philadelphia-born artist Benton Spruance studied architecture while taking evening classes in drawing and etching, before deciding to pursue a career in art. In 1928 and again in 1930 he travelled to Paris, where he studied with the Cubist painter André Lhote and was introduced to lithography. Spruance is best known for his bold prints of urban scenes executed in velvety lithography, such as this view of the Delaware Bridge, which spans the river of the same name to connect Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Later renamed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, this was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it was built in the 1920s.