Chain Bridge in St. Petersburg 1903

Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva made this print of the Chain Bridge in St. Petersburg using a woodblock, it seems. The muted browns and creams work to create a subdued but powerful tonal range and really makes you appreciate the way the artist thinks about value. I think the real genius here is in the details of the bridge itself. Look closely at how she renders the lattice of metal. The density of marks almost becomes a kind of texture, like looking at the world through a screen. This reminds me of the way Gustave Caillebotte uses the ironwork of a bridge or balcony to fragment the space of a painting, creating layers of near and far, public and private. I think you can really feel Ostroumova-Lebedeva's connection to the city in this piece. The quiet dignity of the architecture is presented with a deep sense of care. Like the work of Whistler, it shows us that the everyday world is worth our attention and is just as important as any grand historical subject.