View of the Institut de France from the Foot of the Pont Royal

This watercolor belongs to a series of views of Paris which Harpignies painted just before the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War. Although Harpignies is often placed with the artists of the Barbizon school, he did not work in Fontainebleau—although he was influenced by the compositions of Camille Corot (also in this gallery). A talented and influential watercolorist, Harpignies’s primary subjects were landscapes and views of Paris. In this sheet, the artist records a view from the Bois de Boulogne, a famous park on the western edge of Paris.