Les arbres des quais avec le Pont-Neuf 1945

Brassai made this photograph of the Pont-Neuf from the riverbank in Paris. It’s like he captured the city breathing. Look at the way the branches reach across the frame, covered in snow. There's a real sense of touch here, in the way the light catches on the bark, like individual strokes laid down with a brush. The tonal range is so subtle and sooty that I think of Rothko. Brassai is usually known for the grit and the shadows of his street scenes, but here, we find something very quiet, almost spiritual. The way the reflected light blurs into the water makes the bridge seem to float between worlds. It reminds me of the paintings of Whistler, with their ghostly impressions of the city at night. And like Whistler, Brassai makes us look closely. He invites us to slow down, to find the beauty in the everyday, even in the cold of winter.