In this moody watercolour sketch of an overcast day, a serene body of water reflects the surrounding trees and the small bridge in the middle ground. Employing a restrained colour palette dominated by dark reds and browns, Bannister pays careful attention to the tonal qualities of the composition. Untitled (Landscape with Bridge), n.d., is one of many drawings, watercolours, and oil studies that Bannister produced during his summer sketching trips in the 1880s. He purchased a sloop yacht, named the Fanchon, and sailed between Providence and Newport as well as north to Bar Harbor, Maine. These studies served as the basis for Bannister’s winter commissions. His ability to afford a yacht and spend the summer months exclusively producing sketches attests to the financial and artistic success he enjoyed in the 1880s.
Artist and Abolitionist
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Edward Mitchell Bannister, Untitled (Landscape with Bridge), n.d.
Watercolour on paper, 48.3 x 74.9 cm, Collection of Kenkeleba House, New York.