Bridge on the River Fay

Art Historical Context

"Bridge on the River Fay," a lithograph created in 1839 by Eugène Cicéri in collaboration with Jules Dupré, captures a tranquil rural landscape centered on a stone bridge spanning a gentle waterway. Cicéri, a skilled French lithographer and landscape artist, often partnered with painters like Dupré to translate painted scenes into printable form. Dupré, a leading member of the emerging Barbizon School, brought his sensitivity to natural light and atmospheric effects to the composition. This print exemplifies the artistic innovations of early 19th-century France, when lithography revolutionized the reproduction of art. Unlike engraving, the medium allowed for soft tonal gradations and fluid lines that closely mimicked original drawings or paintings, making landscape imagery more widely accessible to collectors and the public. Created during the Romantic era’s growing fascination with nature, the work reflects a cultural shift toward celebrating the quiet beauty of the French countryside. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints as part of the Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this modest yet evocative sheet (measuring roughly 10 7/8 by 8 7/16 inches) offers modern viewers a window into 1830s artistic collaboration and the democratic spirit of printmaking.

About the Artist

Eugène Cicéri|Jules Dupré · 1813–1890

Étienne Eugène Cicéri (1813-1890) was a French painter, lithographer, and theatrical designer who became a notable figure in the Barbizon School movement. Born in Paris on January 27, 1813, into an illustrious artistic family, he was the son of renowned scenographer Pierre-Luc-Charles Cicéri and the nephew of painter Eugène Isabey. Cicéri occupies an important position in 19th-century French land...