Pissarro stayed at the Hôtel de Paris in Rouen from 20 January to 29 March 1896. From his studio on the third floor, he painted different views of the Pont Boïeldieu over the Seine: at sunset, on an overcast day, and in the fog. The bridge joined the old Gothic city in the north with the new southern industrial areas of Sainte-Sever. On the far bank, we see boats docking and unloading cargo, with the urban landscape in the distance. Pissarro captures the transient effects of the mist and smoke, a sense of fugitive movement in the city's activity. He was attracted to Rouen, describing it as having terrific character and being just as beautiful as Venice. Indeed, this juxtaposition between old and new is part of what makes Pissarro's urban paintings so intriguing.

A great admirer of Monet's Rouen Cathedral series, Pissarro painted several views of the quays in Rouen in 1883. From October to November, he worked *en plein air,* in the streets and around the harbor. However, in 1893, following treatment on an eye, his doctor warned him not to expose himself to dusty conditions. By working from the window of his hotel room, Pissarro found a lasting solution to the problem of capturing the hustle and bustle of the city, its linear and aerial perspectives, without the impracticalities of installing himself in the street. In *Pont Boïeldieu, Rouen, sunset, misty weather,* the tilt of the bridge, as well as its sweeping angle across the canvas, allow him to make the most of presenting the busy pedestrian and carriage traffic.

This was one of eleven Rouen paintings exhibited at Durand-Ruel's gallery in Paris in April-May 1896. The exhibition was well received: several critics described the Rouen works as some of his best to date. The works sold, thus providing the artist with some financial security at long last. Buoyed by this success, Pissarro returned to Rouen in September 1896—this time to the Hôtel d'Angleterre on the other side of the bridge, where his fifth-floor room offered panoramas of the city's three bridges. In 1898, he traveled to Rouen for the fourth time, painting more views of the bridges, as well as of the Gare d'Orléans and the Quai de la Bourse. His forty-seven views of Rouen vastly exceed the numbers of any other series he painted and ensure that cityscapes dominate his oeuvre.

Inventory number: RF 1983 7

Provenance: 

in 1896, in the Durand-Ruel collection, Paris (acquired from the artist on April 11, 1896 and sold the same day to Durand-Ruel New York)

in 1896, in the Durand-Ruel collection, New York

1896, in the Durand-Ruel collection, Paris (acquired September 1, 1896)

1983, accepted by the State as a donation in payment of transfer rights for the National Museums (committee of 09/30/1982, council of 10/06/1982, interministerial approval commission of 11/08/1982, decision of the Minister of the Budget of 02/23/1983, decree of 03/09/1983)

1983, attributed to the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

2000, deposited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Rouen