The Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil

Edouard Manet

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Keywords: BanksSeineArgenteuil

Work Overview

The Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil
Edouard Manet
Date: 1874; Argenteuil / Argenteuil-sur-armançon, France *
Style: Impressionism
Genre: genre painting
Media: oil, canvas
Dimensions: 103 x 63.2 cm
Location: Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK


This painting is probably Manet’s most serious exploration of plein-air Impressionism. It was partly painted outdoors during a summer visit to Claude Monet and his family.


Monet lived in Argenteuil, a rapidly developing town on the outskirts of Paris. His wife, Camille, and son Jean posed for the figures on the riverbank. Bright colours and quick strokes of paint vividly convey the summer light and the ripples on the water. (Permanent collection label)


Édouard Manet’s painting depicts a modern life scene of fellow artist Claude Monet’s wife Camille and son Jean, on the banks of the Seine River at Argenteuil, an industrial suburb of Paris, often painted by the Impressionists. The waterway subject, broken brush-work, high-keyed and variegated palette, and sun-filled experience align this painting with the style of the Impressionists, though Manet’s composition remains more defined through his use of black and strongly rhymed forms. Despite being a close personal friend of Monet’s and visiting him at Argenteuil, Édouard Manet never showed with the Impressionist group.