When Claude Monet visited London, he stayed at the Savoy Hotel in a room overlooking the Thames, its bridges and buildings of Westminster. From his balcony, he painted over 100 canvases, captivated by the fog, the factory smoke and the changing light effects.

McMaster is proud to have one of these paintings, Monet’s Waterloo Bridge in its collection. This much loved and requested painting is featured in our current exhibition 125 & 45: an interrogative spirit until August 25, 2012.

Several years ago, McMaster University Art History Professor Dr. Paul Walton added some historical, topographical research to the Museum’s files about the work. His annotated maps and images provide a fascinating look at the topography of 1903, and the changes in the city of London and the bridge itself between 1903 and today.

Coincidentally, one of Monet’s pastel drawings of Waterloo Bridge returned to the very room of its origins and was exhibited in the Monet Suite at the Savoy late last year. More on that.