Construction of an Elevated Railway: Bridge over the Cours de Vincennes

About the Artwork

Conceived in 1851, after Napoleon III came to power, the railway encircling Paris was intended to transport merchandise and, eventually, passengers. The railway represented a new convenience, but measures were needed to ensure the safety of other traffic. The numerous railway crossings included in the initial plans turned out to be a source of fatal accidents. To remedy the problem, the platforms and retaining walls were to be raised at the most dangerous spots. The Cours de Vincennes, in the eastern part of Paris, had been one of the deadliest intersections. The work on an elevated railway bridge over this street, which is depicted here, was completed in February 1889. Trouillebert concentrated on portraits until about 1881, when he began to focus on landscapes. He also painted everyday scenes and nudes. He was commissioned by Edme Piot, a public works contractor, to paint this and four related views of the Paris railway construction.

Inscriptions

Signed lower left: Trouillebert

Provenance

1888-1909: Edme Piot [1828-1909], Paris, by descent to his family 1909-: Descendents of Edme Piot Until 1977: (Galerie J. F. Heim, Paris, sold to Noah and Muriel Butkin Until 1980: Noah and Muriel Butkin, Cleveland, OH, bequeathed to the Cleveland Museum of Art as a result of disclaimer by Muriel S. Butkin 1980-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio

Exhibition history

Year in Review: 1980. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (June 24-July 19, 1981).

Quick Overview

Artist: Paul Désiré Trouillebert (French, 1829–1900)
Date: 1888
Medium: oil on fabric
Dimensions: Unframed: 38.2 x 56 cm (15 1/16 x 22 1/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Credit line: Bequest of Noah L. Butkin
Accession no.: 1980.289

More by Paul Désiré Trouillebert in museum collections

A Pond near Nangis
Paul Désiré Trouillebert
1880–95 · Painting
Public collection via the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAT-00016308

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.