L'Estacade à Paris 1852

Johan Barthold Jongkind made this graphite drawing, entitled L'Estacade à Paris, in 1852. Jongkind was a Dutch painter and printmaker who spent much of his career in France, and was closely associated with the Impressionist movement. The work depicts the construction of the Quai de la Tournelle, a bustling scene on the River Seine in Paris. However, beyond the surface of urban development, the drawing also gestures towards the labor and human presence involved in shaping the city. Working class men are captured at work and leisure, their figures blended into the industrial landscape. There is a striking contrast between the static architecture and the transient figures, suggesting broader themes about modernity, labor, and the human condition. Jongkind invites us to consider the relationship between the city's growth and its impact on the lives of ordinary people.