The Opening of Tower Bridge is an 1895 painting by English painter William Lionel Wyllie.
History and description The painting depicts the ceremonial opening of Tower Bridge in London on 30 June 1894. The ceremony was considered to be a significant event in London, described as a "semi-State" occasion. Displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1895, the exhibition's catalogue listed the painting with the following quote regarding the opening:Obedient to the Prince's touch, the ponderous bascules, like the arms of a giant awaking, reared themselves into the air, and the craft adorned with flags innumerable, crowded through in a long triumphal procession, whilst the roaring of hoarse-throated sirens, the clang of bells, and boom of cannon proclaimed the great Tower Bridge open.The bridge become one of Wyllie's favoured subjects. "London's Water Gate", a similar painting which also depicts Tower Bridge and also displayed at the 1895 exhibition was given to the architect of the bridge, John Wolfe Barry, beginning a lifetime friendship and making Barry one of Wyllie's top clients. The painting is held in the Guildhall Art Gallery collection.
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