The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset

The Ponte Molle, also known as the Milvian Bridge, spans the Tiber River just north of Rome. The bridge’s picturesque character appealed to many 17th-century artists, including Jan Asselijn. Its charming structure evoked the quiet beauty of the Roman countryside, and its painterly effects were enhanced by the rhythmic shadows on its arches and the golden light across the sky. In _The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset_, shepherds and travelers along the river’s bank enliven the lower reaches of the composition, and a well-dressed gentleman at right gestures to a boatman whose small cargo vessel drifts through an arch. The vivid accents of light falling on these figures emphasize their subtle but important presence in the scene.

Asselijn received his artistic training in Amsterdam, after which he traveled to Rome to live with a group of Dutch and Flemish artists called the _Bentvueghels_ (brotherhood of artists). They focused their attention on scenes of everyday life as well as views of the Roman countryside. Asselijn fused these two pictorial realms by depicting ordinary people near Roman buildings, bridges, and ancient ruins. He freely adapted architecture and topography to enhance his pictorial and atmospheric effects. Here he gave the bridge a round tower at its northern end instead of the large, pier-like structure that actually stands there.