Self-taught artist Lim Tze Peng is one of Singapore’s most prominent artists. His artworks do not adhere to the traditions of Western painting nor Chinese calligraphy. Instead, he adopts different aspects of art forms that appeal to him and, by doing so, envisions creating artworks that are universal. 

Lim is an avid traveller who enjoys painting en plein air. In the summer of 2000, he embarked on a two-month residency in Paris and explored the French capital with his paintbrushes in hand. Each day, as he observed the sights and sounds of the city, he captured his observations and experiences by painting. At the end of his residency, he painted over 60 works showcasing the city’s beauty. Out of these works, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is honoured to receive 45 paintings as a personal donation by Lim – the largest contribution by an artist to the NAFA collection.

Pont Notre-Dame stretches across one of the oldest roads in Paris and was built during the Gallo-Roman period. Over the years, numerous restorations of Pont Notre-Dame have taken place, made with new stone and wood materials. Houses were also constructed along the bridge, which are well-known for being the few to be first numbered in the city. Today, Pont Notre-Dame is one of the five bridges along this road and has not changed since 1919. Lim’s rendition of Pont Notre-Dame depicts Parisian boats sailing into the sunset. Employing curved strokes, he accentuates the breadth of the bridge. In the background, he tinges buildings like the Clock Tower in yellow to capture the soft glow of the setting sun.