The Railway Bridge, Charenton

Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson 1889 - 1946

Summary

An industrial landscape scene painted in an Impressionist style, showing an arched iron railway bridge crossing a river, seen through the smoke and steam of large vessels moored at the foreground river bank. A hazy, mauve light gently silhouettes in muted blue and purple tones the scene's landmarks. Making its way across the iron bridge is a steam engine, approaching the far bank of the river on the left, which is crowned by an industrial chimney. A stone bridge can be seen further down the river with a number of small arches crossing the water. In the right foreground, the riverbank is busy with shipping activity: several figures stand on the bank next to a moored boat with heavy lifting equipment.

Display Label

The Railway Bridge Charenton 1911-12 C R W Nevinson 1889-1946 Oil on canvas Like Valette's Windsor Bridge of 1909, this impressionistic work by Nevinson owes much to Monet's paintings of London bridges in fog. The painting entered Manchester Art Gallery in 1912 and may well have been known by Valette who was painting similar scenes at this time. Valette's adoption of Impressionism is thus in line with the belated British response to the movement. Presented anonymously 1912.35