Forth Bridge by William Wolcott

This is an etching by the British-American etcher William Wolcott. Wolcott's output depicted city scenes and architectural features in England, Scotland, and the United States. This etching is of the Forth Bridge. This railroad bridge was constructed between 1882 and 1890, and was opened for traffic in 1890. The etching shows a train crossing the bridge, so dates between 1890 and roughly 1920. It is very typical of his style in that he uses plate wiping to tone the image giving the impression of fog and overcast. This effect is enhanced by lightening the etching of more distant objects to render them less distinct as would be seen in real life. I've seen Wolcott employ this same technique in etchings of the Thames. Wolcott enhances the interest of the scene by including a couple of ships transiting the Firth of Forth. The ship in the foreground is a warship of some kind, probably a submarine given the forward deck gun and the way the fantail slopes into the water. There's a hint of a conning tower as well. This could be an E-class British submarine in that there appears to be a rear deck gun as well, and the conning tower has a low profile. This model was the dominant submarine of the British Navy in World War 1, so that could push the dating to later in the range--1914-1920. Certainly one of the first depictions of a submarine in an artistic work. The etching is in fine condition although the paper has a bit of waviness. This does not seem to be related to damage and could probably be addressed by remounting the print. It has not been examined out of the frame. It is signed in pencil lower right. The plate size is 7.25 x 5.75 inches. The piece is framed and is not archivally matted. The frame size is 16.75 x 10.5 inches. A remnant of the original label is still present. The label is from the J. J. Gillespie Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA. This doesn't help date the piece, as this gallery has been continuously operating since 1832. It is a beautiful etching.

William Wolcott (1847-1943) was born in England, but worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. While many etchings of his have survived, nothing is known about his training or artistic career. His style shows significant influence from Whistler, as was the case for most printmakers in England active in the late 19th century. His artistic output is of very high quality and he is underappreciated (at least in our opinion). Check out the other etchings by Wolcott we are offering.

Size: 1920s
Price: $300
Framed Size: 16.75 x 10.5 inches
Plate Size: 7.25 x 5.75 inches
Condition: Very Good
Medium: Etching
Subject: Architecture & Cityscape

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