A man in a small boat with oars sits in front of a bridge, a pier of which is just behind and to the left of the boat. The viewer is also positioned on the water as only the bottom of the span is visible. Several other piers, also framed and clad with wood to protect against collision are visible on either side of the image. The distant view, seen between the piers, include a suspension bridge to the left of the central pier and the tower of a church or other buildings to the right.
Whistler's interest in Asian art, particular Japanese woodblock prints, can be seen in this view of the old Battersea Bridge. The low vantage point, truncated span of the bridge, and the form of the boatman are all inspired by prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai.
Battersea Bridge was the last remaining wooden bridge in London when Whistler painted it and was itself slated for demolition and replacement. Like many of the warehouses and sites depicted in his Thames Set which were also scheduled for elimination as part of an urban renewal project, the old Battersea Bridge evoked a nostalgia for the passing of an era.
The print depicts the landscape of hills by the sea, with some residential houses and a bridge in the left foreground. The print also illustrats ships floating on the water and birds flying above the sea from the distant mountain.
Viewed from an elevated vantage point, a curved roadway at the lower left meets a bridge that crosses a river; in hte far distance are indications of buildings along the far bank. On both the roadway and bridge can be seen horse-drawn carriages and conveyances.
Drawn from the windows of the newly opened Savoy Hotel in London, this view shows the Waterloo Bridge and the Victoria Embankment along the Thames. Whistler and his wife lived in rooms on the top floor of the Savoy during Beatrix's final months before her death.