The Seine is the backbone of Paris.  Life in Paris began around this river, because traditionally civilizations originate near the water.  Now, Parisians interact with this natural feature daily, using it as a means of transportation, business, and leisure.  However, Parisian life is not the only thing centered on the Seine.  Some of Paris’s most amazing and earliest monuments are located near the Seine, and as the city expanded rapidly in past centuries, Paris’s monuments are now scattered in all areas within Paris’s borders.  Included in this theme are works of art related to the Seine and to monuments of Paris.