, , , ,

Hertford College, Bridge of Sighs – Original Painting

£879.00

Hertford College, Oxford – Bridge of Sighs

– An original painting by Cathy Read. Created in England in 2021. The painting is 60cm high by 42 cm wide.

The painting includes a certificate of authenticity.

Framing: The painting is currently unframed. The painting is 41 cm high by 59.4 cm wide, framed size is approx 59cm high x 77cm wide. Framing will be arranged in white.frame with double mount off white and dark grey.  Please allow up to three weeks for framing.

Framed images are for guidance only and may differ slightly from the actual framing.

Care: Display under glass. Keep painting away from moisture, heat and bright lights or direct sunlight

All copyrights are retained by the artist, and the artwork cannot be reproduced without consent from Cathy Read.

Availability: In stock

Hertford College, Bridge of Sighs – Original Painting

About the Image

Hertford College on New College Lane has a curious little bridge between two buildings, nicknamed “Bridge of Sighs” after the famous structure in Venice. Although the college dates from the 13th century, the bridge is a relatively recent addition completed in 1914. It is called the Bridge of Sighs because of its resemblance to the bridge of the same name in Venice; however, it was never intended to be a replica of that bridge.

Bridge of Sighs on a Wet Day

The painting depicts a wet day. The lone cyclist embarks on his journey having unchained his bicycle from the railings on the right. He stands on the pedals, propelling his transport ever faster. Eyes intent on his destination.

The road surface dominates this image. It is a scarred surface telling of roadworks, resurfacing, and general wear and tear. Yet the road surface, like the bridge, is a recent construction when compared with Hertford College, steadfast in the background.  The 800-year-old building looks more majestic than the care-worn roads despite hard work done over the years.  As one would expect, the ravages of time wear away at the hardy architecture.

Tourist Magnet

The Bridge of Sighs is obviously on a regular tourist route. Even when I was there on a quiet wet day, numerous visitors stopped to pose for snaps of themselves and with each other, with the architectural featured in the background. People turned the corners, and you could see the looks of surprise and delight on their faces, especially on those for whom it was a novelty.

As a relative local and one who lived in Oxford for several years, it still delights me to see beautiful architecture as I go about my daily life. That architecture can be found all over but too often the locals tend not to visit these beauties on their doorsteps and wait for times when friends come to visit. And then they come out as tourists of their hometown.


Creation: Masking fluid is painted onto watercolour paper to create an image. This is covered with a watercolour wash and covered with clingfilm. The picture is further developed using acrylic inks once the film is removed. The masking is removed after several layers are added and allowed to dry. Revealing the final picture.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Scroll to Top