The Great Bridge, Rouen 1896

Camille Pissarro painted "The Great Bridge, Rouen" using oil on canvas. The painting provides a glimpse into the shifting social landscape of late 19th-century France. Born on a Caribbean island then under Danish control, Pissarro's background as a man of color undoubtedly shaped his worldview and his sensitivity to the plight of the marginalized. "The Great Bridge, Rouen" shows us the city’s river port, a bustling hub of labor and commerce. In this painting, the thick plumes of smoke rising from the factories signal the march of industrialization, raising questions about progress and its costs. Pissarro paints the emotional and experiential impact of the changing urban environment. Instead of romanticizing the scene, he depicts the grit and grime of the city with a sense of realism. He invites us to reflect on the human cost of modernization and the changing relationship between labor, capital, and the environment.