Artwork

London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales

London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales is an oil painting by William Holman Hunt. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.

About this work

London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales is an oil painting by William Holman Hunt. It was created in 1863.

The work shows a crowd on London Bridge after the royal wedding of March 10, 1863. The bridge is decorated with Danish flags to honor the new princess. Hunt liked the mix of artificial and natural light and added a touch

Overview

London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales is an 1863 oil painting by William Holman Hunt, capturing a celebratory scene on London Bridge following the royal wedding of Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a nighttime crowd on London Bridge, adorned with Danish flags in honor of Princess Alexandra, highlighting the intersection of public jubilation and royal occasion.

Technique & Style

Hunt exploited the contrast between artificial illumination from the celebrations and natural moonlight, injecting a sense of 'Hogarthian humour' through the depiction of the crowd's antics.

History & Provenance

Completed in 1863, the painting commemorates a specific historical event: the wedding of Queen Victoria's eldest son to Princess Alexandra on March 10, 1863, at Windsor Castle.

Context

The work reflects Hunt's interest in juxtaposing light sources and his observation of everyday life amidst grand events, characteristic of Pre-Raphaelite attention to detail and realism.

Artist & collection

Artist

William Holman Hunt

William Holman Hunt (2 April 1827 – 7 September 1910) was an English painter and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Museum

Ashmolean Museum

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