I have two Pont Neuf photos from 1985, captured with my then trustworthy Canon AE-1 and a 50mm 1.8 lens.
Backstory for those only familiar with our digital era: "In the days of film there was a special “lag” we didn’t talk about much: the time before you pressed the shutter release while you considered whether it was economically wise to press the button."
Christo & Jeanne-Claude:
On September 22, 1985, a group of 300 professional workers completed the temporary work of art The Pont Neuf Wrapped. They had deployed 41,800 square meters (450,000 square feet) of woven polyamide fabric, silky in appearance and golden sandstone in color, covering:
- The sides and vaults of the twelve arches, without hindering river traffic.
- The parapets down to the ground.
- The sidewalks and curbs (pedestrians walked on the fabric).
- All the street lamps on both sides of the bridge.
- The vertical part of the embankment of the western tip of the Île de la Cité.
- The Esplanade of the Vert-Galant.
- The fabric was restrained by 13 kilometers (8 miles) of rope and secured by 12.1 tons of steel chains encircling the base of each tower, one meter (3.3 feet) underwater.
Heather Stimmler:
... the pouring rain doesn’t stop one of the most poetic performances of the evening, of dancers and acrobats from La Compagnie XY swinging back and forth atop what look like pole vaulting sticks, also dressed in the same colorful outfits by de Vilmorin. They manage to hold on to each other (including the famed slackliner Nathan Paulin) and even look happy in the rain, as the Patrouille de France create a giant red heart in the sky above the city.2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony:
Acrobats from Compagnie XY (also referred to as the XY company):BBC photo summary.
Circus artists from Gratte-Ciel company (Cie Gratte Ciel)
Tightrope/slackline walker Nathan Paulin performed a high-wire act on the Pont Neuf, soaring approximately 34 meters above ground.
2026:
According to the artist, this temporary work aims to connect rawness and wildness with the refined elegance of Paris, creating a dialogue between the past and the present. The theme of the cave "connects us with the history of humanity, regardless of the continent." "There’s a certain unknown, a fear of entering the cave, and at the same time fascination," JR described.Kim Wilsher:
The temporary work is intended as a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the late artistic duo who wrapped Pont Neuf in fabric in 1985, attracting millions of visitors according to AFP. At that time, these artists had to contend, in particular, with political opposition. Since then, according to JR, Paris has gotten used to hosting grandiose projects of contemporary art.
“We were talking about the anniversary of the Pont Neuf wrapping and Vladimir suggested I do something. Not a wrap but my own thing,” he said. “And then I started dreaming and sketching and as I sketched, the idea of the cave emerged.”
Pont Neuf map.
On a joyful life:
Psalm 16:11 — “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
1 Timothy 6:17 — “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”
Links: The Last Living Monet
Claude Monet's House and Gardens.
