Old Bridge at Weaverton 1867

Andrew Fisher Bunner made this pencil drawing called "Old Bridge at Weaverton" sometime in the late 19th century in the United States. At this time, American artists turned away from idealized landscapes and towards humble, rural scenery. Bunner's drawing depicts a stone bridge almost hidden in the woods, but what can this tell us about the cultural context in which it was made? The sketch highlights the kind of picturesque scenery that was becoming easily accessible to middle-class tourists in the late 1800s. Railroads allowed city dwellers to escape to the countryside, creating a demand for images of rural leisure. This was also a period when American artists were aware of their own institutional histories, looking back to the Hudson River School for inspiration. Archival research into exhibition records and period guidebooks could shed further light on the social and cultural meanings of Bunner's drawing. Ultimately, this image reminds us that art never exists in a vacuum.