The Pont de l'Europe by Caillebotte
An 1876 oil on canvas, The Pont de l'Europe, by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-96) the French impressionist painter. Caillebotte uses the strong diagonal of the railway bridge to draw the viewer's eye down the street, following the dog. Such industrial architecture was relatively new to Paris - the Europe Bridge had just been completed, in fact - and impressionist artists like Caillebotte were keen to show this modernity in their work along with the wealthy bourgeoise for whom it was built. (Musée du Petit-Palais, Geneva)
