The Japanese Bridge

Cyrus Cincinnatto Cuneo was born in San Francisco into a large Italian family of musicians and artists, of whom Rinaldo was his brother. Cyrus studied at the Mark Hopkins Institute in San Francisco and later in Paris with J.A.M. Whistler and Louis Giaradot, where he financed his art lessons by boxing professionally. Cuneo accepted a position on the staff of London's Illustrated News and was commissioned by the British government to paint the coronation of King Edward.

Returning to California in 1908, Cuneo made an extensive trip to San Francisco where he likely painted The Japanese Bridge. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, San Francisco had became a diverse culture of Asian communities which influenced much of the artwork produced in that region. This, coupled with Cuneo's early influence from Whistler who implored his students to study the art of Japan, was the catalyst for him to create this rare and exceptionally beautiful painting. The Japanese Bridge maintains a harmonious composition found in Japanese prints together with the richness of palette and impressionistic brush typical of the academic French influence of the late 19th century. The scene depicts several figures dressed in colorful traditional costume, crossing a low footbridge which spans a lily pond. The scene embodies a restful calm inherent to the values of Japanese culture.