High Bridge, New York 1905

Henry Ward Ranger’s “High Bridge, New York” is a landscape painted with oil on canvas. The brushstrokes are soft, almost hazy, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The whole scene is dominated by a structure, the High Bridge, a human endeavor rendered in soft, yielding strokes. Look closely at the bridge’s arches – see how the paint thins and thickens, giving depth and texture to the stone. The colors are muted, earth tones blending with blues and greens. There’s a tension here, between the solidity of the bridge and the ephemeral quality of the light and atmosphere. It is like the bridge is barely there at all. Ranger’s work reminds me of Whistler, both artists capturing a sense of place with a delicate touch. Art, like a bridge, connects us – to places, to ideas, to each other.