There was no formal opening ceremony, and little initial recorded public reaction. However, the bridge soon became much admired for its design; an article in "The London Magazine" in 1779 said that the bridge was "a simple, yet elegant structure, and, from its happy situation, is ... one of the most beautiful ornaments of the river ... from whatever point of view the bridge is beheld, it presents the spectator with one of the richest landscapes nature and art ever produced by their joint efforts, and connoisseurs in painting will instantly be reminded of some of the best performances of Claude Lorraine". James Paine proudly illustrated it among the designs in the second volume of his "Plans, Elevations, and Sections of Noblemen and Gentlemen's Houses", 1783. Richmond Bridge was the subject of paintings by many leading artists, including Thomas Rowlandson, John Constable and local resident J. M. W. Turner.