Le quai Conti et le pont des Arts 1905

Frédéric Houbron painted this view of the Quai Conti and the Pont des Arts in Paris in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's a scene of Parisian commerce and leisure. Barges are moored along the Quai, while people stroll along the river bank and cross the Pont des Arts. But more than this, it's a view of the institutions of French culture, with the domed building of the Institut de France looming over the scene. Founded in 1795, the Institut brought together the learned academies of France, including the Académie Française and the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Houbron, who was himself a member of the Société des Artistes Français, acknowledges the power of such institutions, while also reminding us of their relationship with the everyday life of the city. If we want to understand the full picture, we need to consider the artist's affiliation, along with historical sources on the economy of Paris at the turn of the century.