The Lantern Bridge

About this work

The bridge starts at the bottom of the picture, anchored to a rocky outcrop at lower left. From there it winds in a long S-curve far across a sea of grey-gold cloud, and the eye follows it lantern by lantern. Glowing lamps on posts line both parapets, shrinking as they recede, which gives the scene great depth. At the horizon the bridge rises into a huge golden spiral vortex that fills the sky. Partway along, one small figure with an umbrella walks towards it, the only figure in view. Gold and amber glow against smoky grey, with cream in the lit clouds. Close to the print, the stonework and each glowing lantern are carefully drawn. From further away it becomes a single golden line leading into a whirl of light. The mood is contemplative, like a journey.

A logarithmic spiral has a curious property: it keeps the same shape however far it grows, so each turn is a larger copy of the last. Versions of it turn up across nature, in the arms of hurricanes, the curl of a fern frond, the horns of wild sheep and the swirl of many galaxies. The golden spiral is one special case, widening by about 1.618 with every quarter turn, a number tied to the Fibonacci sequence. The spiral at the end of this bridge echoes that curve. A road across the clouds towards it belongs to the dream logic of surrealism, which from the 1920s made long, quiet journeys through impossible places a recurring theme.

It suits a hallway or a long corridor, where the bridge seems to continue the walk, and a study or bedroom where you want a calm, thoughtful image. Smoky grey, warm stone, cream and soft gold walls all suit its palette. A slim black or bronze frame defines the edges; a wide pale mat adds stillness. Gentle side light or warm lamps bring out the lanterns at night. A size of 50 × 75 cm or larger keeps the small figure visible. Hang it near The Golden Whirlpool, whose spiral draws the eye in the same way, or The Staircase Tree, with its own trail of lights. The file prints sharply to roughly 91 cm on the long edge at 300 dpi.