Impressionism, locations
where the ‘impressionists’ did paint:
Paris, along the Seine
a topographical overview
Introduction:
The ‘impressionists’ and other landscapists often painted the bridges and quays along the Seine in Paris.
Note: this page has just been started.
The left bank downstream:
Let’s walk along the Seine with Guillaumin, starting east of Paris at the left bank of the Seine coming from the south, turning to the west at the confluent with the Marne, where lies Ivry-sur-Seine and where Guillaumin often did paint. Let’s walk west ward, along the Quai d’Ivry, crossing the later build Boulevard Périphérique. After the Pont National we walk over the Quai Panhard et Levassor, at the end it runs parallel with the Port de Tolbiac, untill the Pont de Tolbiac. After that we proceed at the Quai de la Gare (now partly called the Quai François Mauriac), running parallel with the Port de la Gare. After the Pont de Bercy, it proceeds in the Quai d’Austerlitz, near Gare d’Austerlitz, again parallel with the Port de la Gare. Halfway we cross the later build Pont de Charles de Gaulle. After the Pont d’Austerlitz we proceed at the Quai Saint-Bernard. Then we cross the Pont de Sully, connecting to the Île Saint-Louis, with it’s Quai de Béthune. Note: some works of Guillaumin are called Quai Sully, while there is no such Quai (nowadays). We proceed at the Quai de la Tournelle. Half-way the Pont de la Tournelle connects the Île Saint-Louis with it’s Quai de Béthune and Quai d’Orléans. And further west the Pont de l’Archevêché connects the Île de la Cité. Shortly afterwards we proceed at the Quai de Montebello, halfway passing the Pont au double, that connect the Île de la Cité, with it’s Quai du Marché Neuf. After the Petit Pont we proceed at the Quai Saint-Michel. After the Pont Saint-Michel (that also connects Île de la Cité and it’s Quai des Orfèvres), we proceed at the Quai des Grands Augustins. After the Pont Neuf (that also connects Île de la Cité and it’s Quai des Orfèvres), we proceed at the Quai de Conti. After passing the Pont des Arts we shortly afterwards proceed at the Quai Malaquais. After the Pont des Carrousel we proceed at the Quai Voltaire. After the Pont Royale we proceed at the Quai d’Orsay (now partly called Quai Anatole France). First passing the Passerelle Léopold Sédar-Senghor (formerly known as Passerelle de Solférino), then the Pont de la Concorde (formerly also called Pont Louis XVI), then the Pont Alexandre III (build just before 1900), then the Pont des Invalides. After the Pont de l’Alma we proceed at the Quai Jacques Chirac (formerly the Quai Branly). After passing the passarelle Debilly it runs parallel with the Port de la Bourdonnais and after the Pont d’Iéna with the Port de Suffren. After the Pont de Bir-Hakeim (which connects the Île au Cygnes) we procede at the Quai (and Port) de Grenelle, till the Pont de Grenelle, which also connects the Île au Cygnes. Then we procede at the Quai André Citroën (formerly known as the Quai de Javel), more west ward also called Port de Javel Haute and after the Pont Mirabeau (built between 1895 and 1897) called Port de Javel Bas. Then we procede at the Quai d’Issy-les-Moulinaux, passing halfway the Pont du Garigliano (formerly there was the viaduc d’Auteuil or Point-du-Jour).
The right bank upstream:
Than we cross the Pont Aval to the right / north bank of the Seine and walk east wards. First we walk at the Quai Saint-Exupéry. Passing the Pont du Garigliano (formerly there was the viaduc d’Auteuil or Point-du-Jour) we procede at the Quai Louis Blériot (formerly known as the Quai d’Auteuil). We pass the Pont Mirabeau (built between 1895 and 1897). After the Pont de Grenelle, which also connects the Île au Cygnes we procede at the Avenue du Président Kennedy, halfway crossing the Pont de Bir-Hakeim (which connects the Île au Cygnes), after a while proceding in the Avenue New York, which runs parallel with the Port Debilly, halfway passing the Pont d’Iéna and later the Passerelle Debilly. After the Pont de l’Alma we procede at the Port de la Conférence and the Port des Champs-Élysées, crossing the Pont des Invalides and later the Pont Alexander III. After a short while it runs parallel with the Port de la Concorde, which later runs parallel with the Quai des Tuilleries. First we cross the Pont de la Concorde (formerly also called Pont Louis XVI) and later the Passerelle Léopold Sédar-Senghor (formerly known as Passerelle de Solférino), till we reach the Pont Royal. There we procede in the Quai du Louvre (part of it is now renamed in the Quai François Mitterand). We first cross the Pont du Caroussel (rebuild and formerly also called Pont du Louvre), then the Pont des Arts, till the Pont Neuf (that leads to the Île de la Cité, with it’s Quai d’Horloge). Then we procede on the Quai de la Mégisserie till the Pont au Change ((that also leads to the Île de la Cité, with it’s Quai de la Corse). Then we procede on the Quai de Gesvres (with in the middle the Pont de Notre-Dame), untill the Pont d’Arcole (which also leads to the Île-de-la-Cité and it’s Quai aux Fleurs). Then we procede the Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, with in the middle Pont Louis Philippe (which leads to Île Saint-Louis, with it’s Quai de Bourbon) ending at the Pont Marie (which also leads to Île Saint-Louis, with it’s Quai d’Anjou). Then we procede on the Quai des Célestins, untill the Pont de Sully (which also leads to Île Saint-Louis, with it’s Quai d’Anjou). Then we procede on the Quai Henri IV, crossing the Pont Morland, we procede on the Quai de la Rapée, soon crossing the Pont d’Austerlitz, later the Pont Charles de Gaulle (build in 1996), parallel walking with the Port de la Rapée. Walking further eastwards we cross the Pont de Bercy, the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir (build between 2004 and 2006) and the Pont de Tolbiac (built between 1879 and 1882). After the Pont National, the Quai de Bercy proceeds, but the parallel Port de Bercy has stopped. Then we cross the modern Boulevard de Périphérique, we cross the Paris boundary and procede in Charenton-le-Pont (opposite of Ivry), whith it’s Quai de Charenton on the right bank of the Seine, proceding on the right bank of the Marne at the conjunction of the Seine and the Marne. In the meanwhile we have crossed the Pont de Nelson Mandela Aval (=downstream) and Amont (=upstream) and the Passerelle d’Ivry-Charenton.
Paris, along the Seine from east to west:
We will make a trip along the Seine in Paris downstream, starting in the east and heading to the west.
Bercy:
The first bridge when you enter Paris, just west of Ivry and Charenton is the Pont National, also depicted by Lépine. Further west the Pont de Bercy divides the quai de Bercy.
La Quai de la Rapée:
The Quai de la Rapée lies on the right bank of the Seine between the Pont de Bercy and the Pont d’Austerlitz. Guillaumin also rendered the Quai de la Râpée and exhibited it in 1881.
Pont de l’Estacade:
The Pont de L’Estacade was an ancient bridge for pedestrians that was destroyed in 1932 (iR4). It connected the right bank with the Île Saint-Louis and was located about the same spot as where now is the Pont de Sully (iR9). Mostly Lépine depicted in the distance the church of St. Louis and St. Paul (iR6). He made more than 10 paintings of this spot (M103), see also. Lépine also depicted the Pont de Sully that connected the Île Saint-Louis with the left bank (see CR107+113+114). Probably here the harbour ‘au Vin’ was located (see link), but maybe this was also located at the opposite bank of the Seine at the Quai Henri IV.
Pont Marie:
The Pont Marie connects the the Quai des Célestins at the right bank with the Île Saint-Louis. At the other side the Pont de la Tournelle connects the Île Saint-Louis with the left bank of the Seine. Lépine also depicted this bridge several times. From 1870-73 Lépine lived at rue des Rosiers, 12 (in the 4th arrondissement), an 8 minutes walk from the Pont Marie.
Pont d’Arcole:
The Pont d’Arcole connects the right bank with the Île de la Cité, with it’s Quai des fleurs, which Lépine also depicted. On the right bank you find the Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville and the Quai de Gesvres. Here Lépine depicted several times the Apple market.
Pont Saint-Michel:
The Pont Saint-Michel connects the left bank with the Île de la Cité, with it’s Quai des Orfèvres.
Pont Neuf:
The Pont Neuf is the most west bridge that connects the left bank of the Seine (with the Quai de la Mégisserie and the Quai du Louvre) with the Île de la Cité and also the left bank with the Quai des Grands Augustins and the Quai de Conti. Lépine also depicted the Pont Saint-Michel that connects the right bank (with the Quai Saint-Michel and the Quai des Grands Augustins) with the Île de la Cité.
Pont des Arts:
The Pont des Arts is a small bridge for pedestrians that connects the Louvre at the right bank of the Seine to L’Institut and the École des Beaux-Arts on the left bank.
Pont Royal:
The Pont Royal connects the Jardin des Tuilleries at the right bank with the Musée d’Orsay at the left bank. A bit to the east we see the Pont du Carrousel.
Pont de la Concorde:
The Pont de la Concorde connects the Place de la Concorde at the right bank with the Quai d’Orsay at the left bank. Looking to the east we see the passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, a footbridge that connects the Jardin des Tuilleries at the right bank with the Musée d’Orsay at the left bank and was formerly known as the Pont de Solférino (iR3;iR9).
Pont des Invalides:
The Pont des Invalides connects the 8th arrondissement at the right bank (with the Grand Palais) with the 7th arrondissement at the left bank (with the Esplanade des Invalides.
Pont de l’Alma:
Lépine also depicted the Pont de l’Alma. It was build in 1856 en rebuild in 1970 (iR3; napoleon.org)
Pont d’Iéna:
The Pont d’Iéna is also called the Jena bridge and connects the Jardins de Trocadero at the right bank and the Eiffel Tower at the left bank. The Palais du Trocadéro was build in 1878 for the Exposition Universelle. It was partly demolished and rebuild as the Palais de Chaillot for the Exposition Universelle of 1937. (iR3) At several paintings of Lépine we can depict the Palais du Trocadéro. More west is the 16th arrondissement, also mentioned Passy. The Eiffel Tower was build for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 (iR3).
Recommanded citation: Impressionism, locations where the ‘impressionists’ did paint: Paris along the Seine. Last modified 2026/08/02. https://www.impressionism.nl/paris-along-the-seine/”
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