Gezicht op de Pont Neuf in Parijs c. 1877

Norbert Goeneutte’s etching shows a view of the Pont Neuf in Paris. Goeneutte made this print during a period when printmaking was undergoing something of a revival, thanks to its championing by artists such as Félix Bracquemond. But while he shows us a recognizably Parisian scene, Goeneutte’s image is more than just a picturesque view of the capital. Instead, it draws our attention to the social life that animated the city’s streets and bridges. Like the Impressionists, Goeneutte was interested in depicting modern life. His choice of the Pont Neuf is interesting because it was a place where different social classes mixed, a truly public space in which people could meet and interact. To understand Goeneutte’s art more fully, we might look at illustrated journals from this period, or at photographs of Paris, to get a better sense of how artists responded to the changing face of the city. By understanding the image in the context of its social history, we can appreciate how Goeneutte was engaging with the issues of his time.