In subdued tones of grey, Plaskett describes an overcast day, looking at the Pont d'Arcole spanning the Seine river. There is a quiet rhythm in the darker greys and some surprising ripples of water described in pale blues in the foreground and pale turquoise in the distance indicating sunshine is settling on parts of the city.
Artist
Artist Name
Joe Plaskett
Names aka
Joseph Plaskett
Birth Year
1918
Death Year
2014
Image Dimensions (inches/centimetres)
Image Width (centimetres)
24
Image Height (centimetres)
18
Framed?
Yes
Frame Dimensions (inches/centimetres)
Frame Height (inches)
27
Frame Width (inches)
33
Acquisition Type
Gift
Literature
Self-portrait of the artist as a young man: In his new memoir, Joseph Plaskett recalls Paris, parties and a painting life.: [Final Edition]
Simpson, Peter. The Ottawa Citizen; Ottawa, Ont.. 25 Sep 1999: B7.
Essays
With such fresh marks, Plaskett describes a straight form of the bridge, Pont dArcole, from one side of the image to the other, a risky compositional choice, whisking the viewer across the picture plane in a single glance. The bridge was the first single span bridge in Paris without support piles, and constructed entirely with wrought iron, an engineering feat. (See historical link, below.)
But Plaskett is a master of drawing and leads the eye from the right side with a strong grey shadow back down to the lower left, in a single sweep of rippling water, a shadow from the bridge.
Upon closer inspection, the bridge has people walking, some to the left and some to the east. In the background in the centre, soft sky-blue reflects in the river’s water, perhaps the reflection of a fresh bit of spring sunshine. There is another bridge sketched into this patch of blue. Or is that two bridges?
This is an evocative image with the Seine River often moody with foggy days or days of rain but eventually brightened by sunshine. The walking paths along the river are favorite haunts of tourists and locals alike. As the song says, “I love Paris. Why, oh why, do I love Paris?”
