The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
On the Terrace, from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder
1929
(American, 1899–1989)
Image: 11.5 x 8.3 cm (4 1/2 x 3 1/4 in.); Sheet: 16 x 13.5 cm (6 5/16 x 5 5/16 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Malcolm L. McBride 1956.233.13
Courtesy of the Estate of Clare Leighton
Catalogue raisonné: Hardie (P.C.Q.) XXII.159.145
Location: Not on view
Description
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) by Thornton Wilder tells the story of Brother Juniper, who, after witnessing the collapse of a bridge, tries to find the meaning behind the tragedy by investigating the lives of the people who died there. Clare Leighton made 16 wood engravings for a 1929 edition of the book. Most of them are character studies that combine expression, dress, and setting to communicate the character’s thoughts and feelings. They also demonstrate the development of Leighton’s distinctive style in the medium, including thick outlines, high contrasts, and modeling using white lines against the black background created by the uncut woodblock.- Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).
- {{cite web|title=On the Terrace, from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder|url=false|author=Clare Leighton|year=1929|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1956.233.13