The Auld Brig by William Simpson (1823-1899). The Merchants' Steeple can be seen on the north bank, and two men are watering their horses in the river.
The bridge, which was sometimes known as Stockwell Bridge or Bishop Rae's Bridge, was the first stone bridge to be built over the Clyde in Glasgow. Constructed c 1350, it was originally 12 feet wide and had eight arches. It was frequently altered over the years, and finally demolished in 1850 to be replaced with Victoria Bridge.
This watercolour is one of fifty-five painted by Simpson between 1893 and 1898. Most of the paintings in the series are based on sketches he completed fifty years earlier and which appeared as black and white illustrations in Views and Notices of Glasgow in Former Times, published in 1848 by Allan & Ferguson.
Reference: 892h / 1989.2.h
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
Auld Brig, Bishop Rae's Bridge, boats, bridges, fords, horses, Merchants' Steeple, Old Bridge, paintings, River Clyde, Stockwell Bridge, Victoria Bridge, watercolours