View of Pont-Neuf with Statue of Henri IV

This 1901 painting from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen captures the Pont-Neuf — Paris's oldest bridge, completed in 1607 — with the equestrian statue of Henri IV visible in the background. Pissarro painted the Seine bridges and quays in several series during his Paris urban campaigns of the late 1890s and early 1900s. The Pont-Neuf had been painted by Renoir in 1872 and held symbolic weight as both historic monument and living urban artery. Pissarro's version captures the bridge at a moment of transition from historical city to modern metropolis, the equestrian statue of Henri IV becoming almost ghostly amid contemporary traffic.

Pissarro uses a slightly elevated viewpoint to encompass the bridge span, quay, and river surface. Brushwork is his mature Impressionist style — small, directional touches that build the scene through optical mixture. The palette is dominated by the silvery tones of the Seine, with warm ochre buildings and green-grey trees.