Udsigt over Pont de Neuilly (Vuë du Pont de Neuilly près Paris) 1783

Editor: This print, titled "Udsigt over Pont de Neuilly," or "View of the Neuilly Bridge near Paris," was made in 1783 by Elise Saugrain. It’s an etching, so mostly monochrome, and it shows a lovely cityscape with the bridge taking center stage. I'm struck by how calm it feels, despite being a scene of, presumably, bustling Paris. What do you see in it? Curator: Calm is a great word, and perhaps that's partly Saugrain's genius. It *is* a cityscape, but seen through a particular lens. Consider the rise of Neoclassicism at the time – a deliberate reaching back to what was perceived as the order and clarity of the classical world. Doesn't that sensibility filter through, like light on the river? Editor: It does, now that you mention it. The composition feels very structured and… I don’t know… rational? The bridge is so clearly the focus. Curator: Exactly. And think about what a bridge *is* – a symbol of connection, of reason triumphing over the natural world. Notice how even the figures are arranged. Does it remind you of classical friezes, perhaps? The everyday folks look timeless in some ways, don’t they? They almost seem to freeze a piece of that time! Editor: Oh, I see what you mean! And the clouds aren’t stormy or dramatic – everything's very balanced. It’s like a perfectly composed stage set. It's interesting that such a fleeting, 'real' place can actually convey something of a universal order through such perfect stillness and the timeless rendering of reality. I like that a lot. Curator: Me too. Art teaches us a little about history and equally much, if not more, about ourselves!