Look out for them next time you're walking along the Embankment, and when the sun sets, see the artwork of Illuminated River's bridges take centre stage.

Read more about the history and design of Blackfriars Bridge, and the artist's vision for the Illuminated River artwork, on our website:

The bridge was widened in 1910 to allow trams to cross, and to accommodate the high volume of traffic.

Since May 2016, it has also carried the north-south Cycle Superhighway 6. Used by approximately 54,000 vehicles a day, at 105 feet it is now the widest bridge over the Thames.

6th November 1896 must have been a busy day for Queen Victoria, because following the Blackfriars Bridge opening ceremony, she travelled up to Farringdon Road, where she opened the Holborn Viaduct.

The book features more than 30 works ranging in scale – from exhibitions and immersive architectural commissions like Cosmos at Cornell University, to urban-scale artworks such as Illuminated River – and includes work from over two decades of the artist’s career.

Find out more:

If you'd love to learn to capture incredible imagery after dark, join award-winning photographer Nigel Wilson for an evening photography adventure along the Thames, capturing the nine Illuminated River bridges.

https://illuminatedriver.london/whatson/illuminated-river-photography-courses-4

Have you experienced Illuminated River? Head to our website to discover how to view the artwork for yourself: https://illuminatedriver.london/

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At 3.2 miles in length, Illu­min­ated River spans from Lon­don to Lam­beth bridges, mak­ing it the longest pub­lic #art com­mis­sion in the world.

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Find out how to enter: https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/artistic-programme/thames-lens/thames-lens-photo-submission/

Thames Lens is supported by the Port of London Authority.

Illuminated River will sponsor two prizes for this new category: one open to third-year photography students at Ravensbourne University, and another open to the public.

Both invite participants to capture the bridges on video using any device - from smartphones to professional cameras.

With video becoming one of the most powerful ways we consume and share stories, this new category marks a bold step forward, allowing new ways for photographers at all stages to engage with the #RiverThames.

Images: The Thames by Moonlight with Southwark Bridge,1884. John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836–1893) & Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge c.1872-5, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) via Wikimedia Commons & James Newton 

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Over a century later, the Thames remains an enduring source of inspiration. Its bridges and waters remain a canvas for artists reimagining the river for modern London.

Read the full story of art along the Thames: https://illuminatedriver.london/stories/dirty-old-river-the-thames-in-art

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Yet Whistler’s atmospheric vision transformed how the river was seen - a moody contrast to John Atkinson Grimshaw’s luminous romantic style of The Thames by Moonlight with Southwark Bridge.

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Artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler found beauty in its overlooked corners, capturing dockside life and misty nights in his evocative Nocturnes. 

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