Bridge at Caracas

Camille Pissarro

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows an arched stone bridge spanning across a rocky green divide. Our perspective is low, and we look up at the bridge, seeing the people who cross it silhouetted against the pale sky and distant blue hills. A palm tree stands tall on the left side of the bridge, above a white building. On the right appears to be a large gray wall or fortress. Closer to us at the bottom of the scene, two small people are visible standing near the base of the bridge, between the green walls on either side. The brushstrokes are loose, giving an impressionistic feel to the landscape, with few details visible in the people or the structures. The color palette is warm and earthy, dominated by various shades of brown, ochre, and green blending softly.