Pont Alexandre III, Paris

Le Pont Alexandre III has remained, for me, the most beautiful work of functional art I have ever encountered.

When I first crossed this bridge in the summer of 1984 as a young student discovering Paris, I stood in sincere awe. Here was a bridge that served a practical purpose, yet possessed the grace and grandeur of a palace. Four decades and eleven visits to Paris later, that feeling has never faded.

For many years I did not dare paint it. Its beauty felt beyond my ability to capture. Only recently did I find the courage to begin, knowing that no single painting could fully express what this bridge has come to mean to me.

This work is therefore not an attempt to conquer Le Pont Alexandre III, but a humble offering of admiration. It is my tribute to one of humanity's finest achievements—a reminder of what becomes possible when craftsmanship, imagination, and beauty are pursued with devotion.

I suspect my understanding of this extraordinary bridge will continue to deepen for the rest of my life. If I return to paint it again, it will not be because this painting has failed, but because some subjects invite us to spend a lifetime learning how to see them.  It is my tribute to one of humanity's finest achievements—a reminder of what becomes possible when human gifts are exercised with humility, perseverance, and grace.