Gezicht op de Pont Rouge, Parijs 1770

Reinier Vinkeles created this delicate rendering of Paris's Pont Rouge using pen and grey ink, offering a glimpse into the city's vibrant heart. Vinkeles, born in Amsterdam, brings a Dutch sensibility to his depiction of Parisian life. The scene hums with activity. We see laborers and what appear to be middle class citizens along the riverbank, each absorbed in their tasks or leisurely strolls. The drawing offers a glimpse into the social strata of 18th-century Paris, where the burdens of labor contrast with the lives of those who seem to have more freedom. This image doesn't shy away from showing the working class as integral to the city's fabric. There is a certain dignity afforded to the working people here, a sense of their importance to the city's functioning. Vinkeles invites us to consider the lives and labor that animated the picturesque views of Paris. He reminds us that cities are not just stone and water, but also the stories of the people who inhabit them.