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The Pont-Neuf: a Winter Morning (1900) Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) French, 19th century Painting: oil on canvas 29 x 36 3/8"

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In the twilight of his life, impressionist master Camille Pissarro created wonderful depictions of Parisian mornings. One such treasure hangs in the Krannert Art Museum: “The Pont-Neuf: a Winter Morning,” (1900).

The painting is a depiction of the edge of the Ile de Cite, the Square du Vert Galant, named for King Henri IV, the Bourbon King. The square is at the edge of the island and connects the Pont Neuf, or “New Bridge,” now the oldest bridge in Paris. Facing west, with the warm sun coming up to the rear of the viewer, one can feel the crispness of the winter air.

The focal point of the square, and its namesake, is the equine statue at its center. Henri sits triumphantly upon his steed. Henri was the man who began the project of the bridge, so it is fitting that he is paid tribute at its center. The horse stands on a white pedestal with a bronze plaque. The statue itself is a symbol of France’s governmental history and makes for an interesting inclusion in the painting.

The statue was originally commissioned by Marie de Médicis, Henri’s widow and Regent of France, in 1614. The statue was completed and placed upon the pedestal in 1618. Naturally, the statue was destroyed in 1792 during the French Revolution, a very tough time for royal statuary in the city. It was recreated in 1818 with the return of monarchy. By 1900, Henri and the destruction and redemption of his bronze image is old news, and bears little meaning in their daily lives by their countenance.

The use of color also tells a story. Where the city itself is drab and grimy, the elements of nature in the piece are colorful. The sky, which takse up nearly half the painting, is beautiful, with wispy clouds veiling the blue sky before spring, like a bride on her wedding day. The clouds are painted with alternating broad and thin strokes. They collect on the canvas to create the teased cotton-candy texture of the clouds.

In his paintings Pissarro depicted a France that was changing, growing more urban; he himself was drawn to Paris in his twilight years. His portraits of the Parisian landscape provide a glimpse of the city when it was the capitol of the world.