Antoine PONTHUS-CINIER (1812–1885), Animated Landscape with a Small Bridge

Oil on canvas. 34 x 50 cm. Stamped lower left. With frame.

This painting by Antoine Ponthus-Cinier, a 19th-century artist from Lyon, perfectly exemplifies the neoclassical and Arcadian style that brought him renown. The scene depicts a rural landscape bathed in soft light, showcasing the “art of illuminating a canvas” for which critics of the time praised him. At the center, a small stone bridge spans a stream, around which several peasant figures are placed: a woman with a flock in the foreground, other characters near the water, and a rustic house nestled among tall trees. In the background, a hill topped with ruins— a recurring element in the artist’s work— emerges, reflecting his fondness for blending the natural architecture of rocks with the softness of water and vibrant vegetation.

The carefully structured composition highlights perspective and balance between nature and human presence, revealing the influence of his travels in Italy and his admiration for the classical Italian landscape. The luminous sky, dotted with clouds, enhances the serenity of the scene. Ponthus-Cinier seeks to convey an ideal, almost timeless atmosphere where rural life unfolds in a harmonious and picturesque setting.

This painting reflects the picturesque sensibility of neoclassicism, while integrating a touch of romanticism through the poetic rendering of the site and the discreet yet essential presence of mankind in nature. It is a fine example of 19th-century Lyonnaise landscape painting— learned and decorative.

Antoine Ponthus-Cinier enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon in 1829 but appears not to have attended. Trained by Paul Delaroche, he won second prize in the Grand Prix de Rome in 1841 with Adam and Eve Banished from the Garden of Eden. After two years in Italy, he returned to Lyon, where he exhibited from 1837 to 1885, and in Paris from 1841 to 1867, showing historical landscapes and other views in oils, Indian ink, gouache, watercolor, and etching. He undertook extensive travels through Dauphiné, the Dombes, Provence, the Alps, Savoy, and the Pyrenees, practicing the Italianate neoclassical landscape, often animated with small figures. He enjoyed great renown in the capital of Gaul (Lyon), where he received many commissions. He bequeathed to the city of Lyon 50 wash drawings, other sketches, and an annual stipend of 1,000 francs to endow a prize bearing his name— the “Landscape from a Decorative Point of View” award, granted by the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon. His studio was sold in Lyon in March 1885. Today, works by the artist are held in the museums of Lyon, Chantilly, Chalon-sur-Saône, Besançon, Brou, and Chambéry.