Zicht op de Pont d'Alma in Parijs 1929

Curator: Eugène Bejot’s etching, “Zicht op de Pont d'Alma in Parijs,” made in 1929, presents us with a classic view of Parisian life. It’s currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It strikes me immediately with its stillness. Even though it depicts a city scene, there's a quietness to the composition, a sort of timeless elegance captured in the muted tones. Curator: Yes, and I think that's achieved, in part, through Bejot's careful rendering of light. The way the light reflects off the Seine, and the way it illuminates the buildings in the background—it all speaks to the Impressionist influence in his work, as well as the influence of a slightly older group of etchers, such as Meryon. Editor: Precisely. But it is not just pretty—it shows a laboring class too, as there are carts lined on the right and even hints of laborers at work closer to the bank of the river. Bejot is very subtle in introducing class at work, right there in the city center of light. It makes you wonder about who exactly he considered his viewing public? Curator: That is a good question, especially considering the politics of that period in Paris. This cityscape might serve as a deliberate statement to a middle-class viewer about the place of laborers to those of an aristocratic or bourgeoise upbringing who benefited directly or indirectly from their work. Editor: It does make me ponder the bridge itself, too, though. The Pont d’Alma—in its time it, too, might have functioned as its own kind of landmark representing Parisian cultural values. I want to reflect on the bridge as a metaphor and physical construct as well! Curator: Absolutely, and in many ways that sort of infrastructure comes about through laborers’ works in some sense. Perhaps we should ponder it as another, almost camouflaged statement to the bourgeois as a means of pointing out a working class which their success relies on! Editor: Perhaps. All of this, it’s like the piece becomes more alive, especially in the space of its context, when considering who exactly is benefitting, and being affected, by its display! Curator: I concur entirely, and I hope visitors consider these multiple angles we introduced, for the context breathes ever new life into the piece, every time!