silhouettes of pedestrians on a bridge, some looking over bridge to water; two other bridges in middle ground; building at left; tree silhouettes at right; twilight, with orange and blue sky

The Palace of Justice, Seen from the Notre-Dame Bridge, 1899

Not on Viewexpand_more

Puddles still dot the pavement, but the rain has stopped and the skies have cleared just in time for sunset. The bridge beyond, with its double-decker buses being drawn by horses, is the Pont au Change, or Bridge of The Exchange. Its name dates back to the 1100s, when King Louis VII required anyone entering the city—and this was the only route—to exchange their foreign money. The silhouetted complex in the distance is the Palace of Justice.

With its subtle, blended, liquid colors printed on smooth, lustrous paper, this woodcut displays Auguste Lepère’s mastery of techniques derived from Japanese woodcuts, which were enormously popular in France during the later 1800s. It especially recalls the work of Utagawa Hiroshige, whose atmospheric compositions often involved figures crossing bridges (Mia 17.205.55).

Details
Title
The Palace of Justice, Seen from the Notre-Dame Bridge
Artist Life
Paris 1849–Domme, Dordogne 1918
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.35.628
Provenance
[Judith L. Pillsbury, Paris, until 2000; sold in May for PTOOO to Drake]; Harry Drake, St. Paul (2000-d. 2012; bequeathed to MIA)
Catalogue Raisonne
Lotz-Brissonneau 203
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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silhouettes of pedestrians on a bridge, some looking over bridge to water; two other bridges in middle ground; building at left; tree silhouettes at right; twilight, with orange and blue sky