Monet, Claude (1840-1926)
Au bord de la Seine, près de Vétheuil (Banks of the Seine, Vétheuil)
1880
Oil on canvas, 73.4 x 100.5 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington
We look across a strip of tall grass and flowers at a river that winds into the distance in this loosely painted, horizontal landscape. The lower half of the composition is a mass of tall wildflowers created with daubs of lemon yellow and white among vertical strokes of moss, laurel, and pine green. The river beyond is painted with horizontal dashes of arctic, denim, and cobalt blue. The horizon comes about two-thirds of the way up the composition and is lined with tall, narrow trees, trees with rounded canopies, and a blanket of green growth loosely painted and shaded with touches of blue. The sky above is painted with blended strokes of slate blue and cream white. The sky is paler to the right, suggesting sunlight breaking through some of the clouds. The artist signed and dated the painting with red in the lower right corner: “Claude Monet 80.” (NGA)
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See also:
• Île aux Fleurs | Seine | Vétheuil (France)