Location📍 Kröller-Müller Museum → Now on display

Bridge at Arles (Pont de Langlois)

In early 1888, after spending nearly two years in Paris, Vincent van Gogh sought to leave the city behind and return to the countryside. Inspired by fellow artists who described the south of France as 'the land of the blue tints and cheerful colours', he chose Provence as his next destination.

This relocation proved to be highly successful, with Vincent van Gogh remarking that nature in the region was extraordinarily beautiful in every aspect. He compared the wonderful blue dome of the sky and the pale sulphur radiance of the sun to the soft and charming combination of celestial blues and yellows found in the masterpieces of Vermeer of Delft.

Shortly after settling in Arles, he executed multiple interpretations of the drawbridge located just south of the town, creating four paintings, two drawings, a watercolour, and a sketch. This specific painting introduces a dynamic composition where the canal establishes a sweeping diagonal that carries the entire image. This linear perspective successfully guides the viewer's eye toward the bridge and the covered wagon crossing it. This work is part of the Canon of the Netherlands.