The Pont Neuf, Statue of Henri IV, Mist 1901

Camille Pissarro created this view of the Pont Neuf in Paris using oil paint on canvas. The Pont Neuf, meaning “New Bridge”, presents a tableau of urban life with a statue of Henri IV at its center. Pissarro's impressionistic technique is particularly visible, with the brushstrokes thick and the layering of paint creating a rich, textured surface. You can see how the canvas itself becomes part of the artwork, its materiality contributing to the overall effect of a city veiled in mist. Pissarro's approach to painting the city captures the fleeting moments of everyday life, as his focus on the materiality of paint underscores the physical labor involved in his artistic practice. In this way, Pissarro elevated the status of painting as a craft, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and everyday life, between artistic creation and industrious labor.