Raymond Allègre
1857-1933 | French

Pont Neuf

Signed “R. Allègre" (lower right)
Oil on panel

This exquisite Parisian city scene displays Raymond Allègre's Impressionist style through his mastery of light and shadow, the scene seamlessly combines vibrancy with tranquility. The bustling streets teem with life, yet the soft color palette imbues the composition with a serene ambiance. A classic muse for artists, the Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France.

Raymond Allègre was born in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône in 1857. He initially studied under Jean-Paul Laurens at the École des Beaux-Arts in Marseille, where he met Jean-Baptiste Olive and contributed to the decoration of the renowned restaurant Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon, Paris. Furthering his education, Allègre trained under Atelier Vollon and Léon Bonnat at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts. His early works focused on landscapes of the Paris region and Normandy starting from 1875, later shifting back to Provence, where he depicted Martigues and its environs, often referred to as the "Little Venice of Provence."

He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français from 1880 to 1932, receiving recognitions such as the Raigecourt-Goyon Prize in 1893 and a bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition in 1900. In 1903, he was honored as a Knight of the Legion of Honor.

Allègre's works are featured in prominent museums and monuments including the Musée Cantini and the Museum of Fine Arts in Marseille, the Museum of Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse, the Museum of the Old Marseille, the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen, Seine-Maritime and the Museum of Aix-en-Provence.

Circa late 19th century