Hassam’s rendition of the Brooklyn bridge, made in 1892, as shown on the first image, takes place during the winter, whereas the next picture Virginia and I took on does not. The hazy atmosphere in Hassam’s painting is contrasting to the crisp clear skies and lighting in our image. Other challenges in trying to replicate Hassam’s depiction of the Brooklyn bridge included standing on a point where the top of the bridge would be above the tallest lamppost, and angling ourselves to show significant space between the lampposts on either side of the bridge. Hassam may have miscalculated the spacing between the lampposts as they near the arches of the bridge. It seemed impossible to find the perfect angle to match Hassam’s painting. We could have made the arch of the bridge look taller than all the lampposts by having stood on a higher base but we were limited to standing further back due to the impracticality.
It is interesting to note how the setting of the Brooklyn bridge has undergone such little change. The lampposts retain their 19th century design, and the benches nearby look similar as well. The floor of the bridge seems to be the only significant difference between the two images of the bridges.
Well written post. Good analysis.
Next time check the box for category. I almost missed your post. It did not show up in the assignment page.