Vuillard's 'On the Pont de l'Europe' at AGSA's Monet to Matisse
Édouard Vuillard's 1899 colour lithograph 'On the Pont de l'Europe' is currently on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide as part of the exhibition 'Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition', running until 8 November 2026. The work, from the portfolio 'Landscapes and interiors', depicts two young women and a baby, subverting the iconic Parisian bridge's industrial symbolism by focusing on domestic life. Tansy Curtin, AGSA's Assistant Director of Artistic & Collection Programs, highlights Vuillard's role as a Nabis member and his adoption of flattened picture planes inspired by Japanese prints. The lithograph, part of the David Murray Bequest Fund 1939, challenges traditional perspectives and showcases the artist's avant-garde approach. The bridge, built in the 1860s over railway tracks at Saint-Lazare Station, was a popular subject for Impressionists like Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, and Gustave Caillebotte, symbolizing modernity and industrialization. Vuillard's interpretation, however, renders the bridge almost unrecognizable, prioritizing the brightly dressed figures over the steel arches. Curtin notes the print feels entirely modern, rejecting conventional perspective and turning majesty into domesticity. The work is featured in Art Almanac's August 2026 print issue, with an article by Bronwyn Watson.
Key facts
- Édouard Vuillard's 'On the Pont de l'Europe' is a colour lithograph from 1899, part of the portfolio 'Landscapes and interiors'.
- The work is on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide in the exhibition 'Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition' until 8 November 2026.
- The lithograph depicts two young women, one carrying a baby, with the Pont de l'Europe bridge in the background.
- Tansy Curtin, Assistant Director, Artistic & Collection Programs at AGSA, provides commentary on the work.
- Vuillard was a member of the Nabis, a group that synthesized Post-Impressionist movements including Impressionism, Symbolism, Cloisonnism, and Abstraction.
- Vuillard was influenced by Japanese printmaking and adopted the flattened picture plane.
- The Pont de l'Europe was built in the 1860s to span railway tracks at Saint-Lazare Station and was a popular subject for Impressionists like Monet, Manet, and Caillebotte.
- The lithograph is part of the David Murray Bequest Fund 1939 at AGSA.
- The work is featured in Art Almanac's August 2026 print issue, with an article by Bronwyn Watson.
Entities
Artists
- Édouard Vuillard
- Claude Monet
- Édouard Manet
- Gustave Caillebotte
- Tansy Curtin
- Bronwyn Watson
Institutions
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Art Almanac
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Adelaide
- Australia
- Saint-Lazare Station