Daubigny, Charles-François (1817-1878)
Bords de l’Oise à Auvers (Banks of the Oise at Auvers)
1863
Oil on canvas, 88.9 x 161.3 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
Colorfully dressed peasants, who fish on the riverbank alongside rafts of water lilies, animate this landscape. While this painting was likely completed in his studio, Charles-François Daubigny’s work was informed by devoted outdoor study; he even constructed a studio boat in 1857. Daubigny was considered the greatest river painter of mid-19th century France, and this painting is characteristic of his popular scenes of pastoral calm. The work was exhibited at the 1863 Salon, the government-sponsored art exhibition. (SLAM)