The Forth Bridge
About this artwork
Buckham felt that the most spectacular cloud formations and theatrical light could be captured on “stormy days, with bursts of sunshine and occasional showers of rain”. This creativity led to him being regarded as the leading aerial photographer of his day and he was renowned for his atmospheric shots of the landscape. Over the years he amassed a vast collection of photographs of skies which he integrated with a separate landscape photograph to enhance the drama and create a more impressive composition. This image over the Firth of Forth, encapsulates the romantic fusion of man’s engineering achievements against the dramatic beauty of nature. The three steel arches of the Forth Rail Bridge are mirrored in the three biplanes, which Buckham added later by hand, silhouetted against the spectacular sky.
-
title:The Forth Bridge
-
accession number:PGP 197.17
-
artist:
-
gallery:
-
object type:
-
subject:
-
materials:Silver gelatine print
-
date created:About 1920
-
measurements:46.00 x 38.00 cm
-
credit line:Purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund 2008
-
copyright:© RICHARD AND JOHN BUCKHAM
Alfred G Buckham
Alfred G Buckham
Alfred Buckham's first ambition was to be a painter, but after seeing Turner's pictures in the National Gallery, he returned home and made a bonfire of his own work. He was the first head of aerial reconnaissance for the Royal Navy in the First World War and later a captain…