À propos de l’œuvre
Le Pont d'Argenteuill, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · An arch of the road bridge seen from the bank · Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Argenteuil Road Bridge W278hand painted reproduction
Monet approaches the Argenteuil road bridge until he makes his arch the main structure of the painting. A carriage crosses the deck on the left, a few passers-by walk along the parapet and the pink pavilion closes the structure on the right. Under the arch, the Seine opens a window onto the houses on the opposite bank.
Look at the work
The monumental arch frames the Seine, the houses and modern traffic
The apron cuts the upper part from left to right. Its large curve rests on a massive pile in the water and joins the entrance pavilion at the right edge. Beams, parapet and shadows are described by grays, blues and browns which make the structure solid without mechanical rigidity.
The clear bank descends under the bridge to the river. Through the arch, five red and white houses are reflected in the water and give an unexpected depth to the motif. The carriage, passers-by and the small street lamp add several signs of traffic to this very close architecture.
Instead of showing the bridge in a vast panorama, Monet uses it as a frame: the modern work organizes the view and reveals a landscape within the landscape.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
A large curve that dominates the entire composition
The arch occupies almost the width of the painting and forms a powerful semi-circle. Its repetition in beams and shadows creates an architectural depth even before the gaze reaches the distant shore.
The pink pavilion as a vertical counterweight
On the right, the building cuts the apron and stops perspective. Its earthy pink, dark roof and green vegetation balance the massive pile on the left.
Two landscapes separated by the bridge
The nearby bank is clear, stony and almost empty; the opposite bank features colorful houses and trees. The arch connects these two spaces while making them appear as distinct scenes.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The visual corresponds to the Argenteuil Road Bridge kept at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, inventory 2006.29 and Wildenstein number 278. The file is a real WebP of 1,024 × 654 px, to its native definition.
The curve of the arch must be drawn precisely
Its opening, the width of the beams and the position of the two supports determine the entire scale of the painting. An arch that is too high or too low would move the distant landscape.
The grays of the bridge remain colorful
Blues, browns, purples and greens shape stone and metal. A uniform gray would make the work heavy and remove the vibrations of light on its different surfaces.
The carriage remains small but recognizable
A few black accents are enough for the wheels, the body and the horse. This tiny silhouette brings the apron to life without competing with the arch.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
Painted in 1873, this oil on canvas measures 45 × 70 cm. It is kept at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts under inventory 2006.29 and cataloged Wildenstein 278.
A close-up version of the road bridge
This painting stands out from the views of 1874 where sailboats and the length of the bridge occupy the center of the panorama. Here, Monet places himself under the work and focuses attention on a single arch.
Carriage, passers-by and traffic architecture
The bridge doesn't just serve as a backdrop. The silhouettes placed on the apron show its daily function and inscribe the landscape of the Seine in the modern suburbs of the 1870s.
A gift from Anna L. and Fleetwood Garner
The work belongs to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts thanks to a donation from the Garners. Its 2006.29 inventory and Wildenstein number 278 precisely identify this 1873 version.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Respect the curve and width of the large arch.
- Keep the pink flag against the right edge.
- Place the carriage and passers-by on their tiny ladder.
- Keeping distant houses visible through the opening.
Work sheet
| Title | The Argenteuil Road Bridge W278 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1873 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 45 × 70 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Inventory | 2006.29 · Wildenstein 278 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This architectural view is suitable for a living room, entrance or office. A charcoal gray, walnut or natural oak frame highlights the bridge; a stone, sage green or mist blue wall reveals the houses and the Seine.
