Le pont de Trinquetaille 1888

Vincent van Gogh created "Le pont de Trinquetaille" using oil on canvas in 1888. In his painting of this iron bridge in Arles, France, Van Gogh depicts a bustling scene of ordinary people at leisure. Van Gogh arrived in Arles in a period that saw the development of infrastructure with the construction of railroads and iron bridges like this one. By depicting the bridge, Van Gogh, who was deeply invested in his art having social relevance, shows this modern addition to the landscape as part of Arles’s transformation. It also allowed him to explore the relationship between modernity and nature. This is evident in his integration of the bridge with elements of the natural landscape, such as the river, people and boats. Van Gogh's painting provides a glimpse into the past and the changes that transformed the South of France. As historians, we rely on archival documents, period newspapers, and other resources to reconstruct the past. These documents provide a deeper understanding of the artist and the world in which the artist lived.