Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, 'The Seine near Rouen', probably 1829-33
Full title | The Seine near Rouen |
---|---|
Artist | Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot |
Artist dates | 1796 - 1875 |
Date made | probably 1829-33 |
Medium and support | oil on paper, mounted on canvas |
Dimensions | 20.3 × 34.3 cm |
Acquisition credit | Presented by the Art Fund, 1926 |
Inventory number | NG4181 |
Location | Not on display |
Collection | Main Collection |
Corot painted this view of the landscape and river Seine west of Rouen from the top of the Tour du Gros Horloge, a popular viewing platform in the city for the vistas it afforded of the surrounding countryside. The island just visible at the far left is the Ile Rollet, which is now connected to the left bank of the mainland. It is a quiet, overcast scene, and the tonality is cool throughout. The steely clouds in the sky are reflected in the grey of the water, the landscape itself depicted in a limited range of greens.
There is an earlier composition underneath the present one, depicting long curving tree trunks, two arches of a bridge and wooded hills in the distance. While the underlying scene has yet to be definitively identified, it could have been painted either during Corot’s first trip to Italy in 1825–8 or during his travels around France.
Corot painted this view of the gently hilly landscape and river Seine west of Rouen from the top of the Tour du Gros Horloge, a popular viewing platform in the city for the vistas it afforded of the surrounding countryside. The island just visible at the far left is the Ile Rollet, which is now connected to the left bank of the mainland. The church spire on the hill belongs either to the church in the village of Canteleu or to that in the village of Bois-Guillaume. Around six or seven isolated buildings dot the foreground fields, some quite ghostly in appearance, and it is possible that they are an afterthought, added by Corot back in the studio. The red stamp of Corot’s studio sale, which took place in May and June 1875, can be seen in the bottom left corner.
Corot had long associations with Rouen and its surrounding area. He had attended school in the city from 1807 to 1812, and in 1822 he made his first sketching trip to Normandy. He returned in 1829, 1830 and 1833, and he probably painted this view on one of these visits. It is a quiet, overcast scene, and the tonality is cool throughout. The steely clouds in the sky are reflected in the grey of the water, the landscape itself depicted in a limited range of greens. The whole is quite thinly and fluidly painted.
Technical analysis has revealed an earlier composition underneath the present one, painted in a portrait format instead of the landscape format of this picture. At the right there are long curving tree trunks, to the left of which two arches of a bridge are seen, the bases of which appear to be hidden behind a gully or ravine. Wooded hills are in the distance. Underneath the top layer is a yellow-green layer of paint, which belongs to this first composition; this green can be seen through the grey paint of the sky at the top left as well as beneath some of the dull green of the present landscape. This underlying scene has not yet been identified with any certainty. It is possible that it was painted during Corot’s first trip to Italy in 1825–8, with the trunks reminiscent of studies he made of trees at Civita Castellana, north of Rome. But it is equally possible that Corot painted it in France; the bridge is of a type that can be found throughout both countries.
Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.
License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.
License imageThis image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.
Examples of non-commercial use are:
- Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
- Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media
The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.
As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.
You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.