Pont Van Gogh (Langlois Bridge), Arles

The original Langlois Bridge, named after its operator Monsieur Langlois, was one among several 19th-century Dutch-style drawbridges built to support transportation and trade in the region. Its simple yet evocative structure, blending function and pastoral charm, reminded van Gogh of the bridges at home in the Netherlands, sparking his creative gazes.

In 1888, during his stay in Arles, van Gogh produced a series of works featuring the bridge-four oil paintings, two drawings, and a watercolor. He applied strong diagonals, bold complementary colors, and an impasto technique that captured both movement and light, weaving in his admiration for Japanese prints.

Although the original drawbridge was replaced in 1930 and ultimately destroyed during World War II, a faithful reconstruction-now called Van Gogh Bridge -stands nearby, maintained by Arles’s tourism office.