Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower: From the Grenelle Bridge - Henri Rivière

A lithograph from Henri Rivière's series depicting the Eiffel Tower, influenced by Japanese woodblock print aesthetics and the changing Parisian skyline.

Henri Rivière produced his series, Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower, between 1888 and 1902. This collection reflects the fascination with the newly constructed tower, which was completed for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Rivière, a key figure in the Chat Noir cabaret circle, drew inspiration from the woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige. He adopted the Japanese approach to composition, which often features flattened perspectives, bold outlines, and a restricted colour palette.

In this specific view from the Grenelle Bridge, the Eiffel Tower appears as a distant, structural element behind the stone arches of the bridge. The foreground captures a quiet moment along the banks of the Seine, where a figure walks a dog. The composition relies on clean lines and flat areas of colour, characteristic of the lithographic process Rivière utilised. By placing the industrial icon of the tower within the everyday life of Paris, he documents the changing urban environment of the late nineteenth century. The work avoids excessive detail, focusing instead on the interplay between the geometric form of the tower and the organic shapes of the riverbank and clouds. This series remains a significant example of how European artists integrated Eastern aesthetic principles into their depictions of modern life.