Pont Neuf, Paris 1923

Maurice Asselin made this oil on canvas painting of the Pont Neuf in Paris sometime around 1923. The limited palette really draws you in. It's mostly greys, with some warmer tones in the buildings and cooler tones in the water. Up close, you can see how the paint is applied in layers, like the artist was building up the image bit by bit. Look at the way he suggests the reflections in the water with these vertical strokes, so simple but so effective. There is a lovely, dark, almost scribbled mark, at the base of the tree to the right of the buildings. It’s like the artist was feeling his way through the forms, not trying to copy reality, but somehow capture an essence of the scene. Asselin’s work reminds me of Corot, this capturing of light and atmosphere, that feels very French.