Title: Merchants Bridge, St Louis.
Artist: Ernest Fiene (1894-1965)
Charcoal drawing, undated.
Signed and tilted in pencil.
Paper size 13 7/8 x 16 7/8" (35.2 x 42.9 cm).

The Merchants Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the Mississippi River. It opened in 1890 and connects St. Louis, Missouri and Venice, Illinois. The freight bridge is still in operation today, although it is currently under heavy "rehabilitation" work with the hopes of completion in 2022.

A train can be seen crossing the bridge in the drawing.

Ernest Fiene was born in Elberfeld, Germany in 1894. He immigrated to the United States in 1912, where he took up study at the National Academy and, later, the Arts Students League. He is perhaps best known for his landscapes and scenes of New York City.

Fiene was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1932, allowing him to study art in Italy. He also worked with Associated American Artists and was one of nine prominent artists hired by Walter Wanger to document the dramatic scenes of his film "The Long Voyage Home."

Condition: Good to fair condition, some tearing along the edges, not affecting the signature or title.