Lyon. Viaduc du Rhône

1860

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Seine

Dominant colour

Lyon. Viaduc du Rhône is a 1860 by Édouard Baldus, a Impressionism work, depicting Seine, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Édouard Baldus
When & what style?: 1860 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a long stone bridge stretching across a river, its repeating arches like a row of perfect half-circles. Baldus didn’t paint this—he took the picture with an early camera. The bridge was brand-new in 1860, part of France’s first railroads. The arches look old, almost Roman, but the bridge was modern engineering. If you like how light and shadow play here, look up *chiaroscuro*.

The story of this work

Overview

Edouard Baldus, one of the greatest French architectural photographers, documented many of the engineering projects and economic growth that accompanied the construction of the railroads in France. Bridges and viaducts were examples of advancing engineering technology and critical structures for commerce. In this view by Baldus, the viaduct’s repeating arches form a soothing rhythm suggestive of classical balance and symmetry at odds with its modern role.