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Auguste Hippolyte Collard - Pont du Point du Jour - Google Art Project

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Auguste Hippolyte Collard - Pont du Point du Jour - Google Art Project

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Summary

The subject is the Viaduct of Auteuil, an elaborate, two-story, 1,073-meter-long viaduct with 151 arches that spanned the distance between the town of Auteuil and the Point-du-Jour bridge outside Paris. Although the absolute symmetry of the bridge and light posts is compelling and might have attracted another photographer, Hippolyte-Auguste Collard made a less obvious choice, positioning his camera at the end of the Point du Jour, slightly off-center and toward the middle of the right pedestrian arcade. This view establishes an unobstructed line of sight to a point in the far distance, making the viaduct seem infinite. The shadowy sweep of the bridge overhead fans out of the frame like a lopsided crown, while a puddle of water just in front of the left pedestrian passageway, whose arch bears the stains of seeping water, suggests a more mundane problem threatening the impressive structure.

Auguste Hippolyte Collard was a French painter born in Paris in 1812. He was a pupil of the famous French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and became known for his portraits and history paintings. Collard exhibited his work at the Paris Salon from 1835 to 1861 and received many prizes and honours for his paintings. He was made a member of the Legion of Honour in 1867. Collard's paintings are characterised by their attention to detail, use of bright colours and realistic depictions of his subjects. His portraits often captured the personality and character of his sitters, while his historical paintings depicted scenes from French history with accuracy and drama. Although popular during his lifetime, Collard's work fell out of favour in the late 19th century and he died in relative obscurity around 1897. Today, his paintings can be found in museums and private collections around the world.

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Date

1900
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Source

J. Paul Getty Museum
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Copyright info

public domain

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