Joseph Plaskett’s 1964 pastel captures a quiet, atmospheric moment along the Quai de Bourbon on the Île Saint-Louis, looking toward the graceful stone arch of Pont Marie. With swift, instinctive charcoal lines and soft gradients of pastel, Plaskett evokes the subtle greys, greens, and lilacs of a Paris winter afternoon.

Along the upper embankment, the long façade of seventeenth-century townhouses rises in a rhythmic progression — tall windows, steep roofs, and muted stone surfaces rendered with just enough detail to anchor the composition. A row of bare plane trees tilts gently toward the river, their forms sketched in quick, searching strokes that echo the quiet movement of the Seine below.

The sloping quay leads the eye toward Pont Marie, its low, rounded arch catching the dim light as it spans the river. Below, small boats rest against the wall, their subdued blues and greys adding a touch of intimacy to the scene. Plaskett lets the water absorb much of the colour: soft reflections ripple across the surface, balancing the verticals of the embankment and giving the work its calm, contemplative rhythm.

This is Plaskett at his most lyrical — a sensitive, lived-in portrait of the Seine, rich with the understated elegance of Île Saint-Louis and the quiet dignity of Pont Marie.