Monet, G ustave Caillebotte, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and others who painted nautical subjects in vibrant and light-infused compositions. Several of these artists owned boats, some came from naval families, and many of their works include technological
derails that demonstrate an intimate knowledge of nautical life. Incorporating these details within painterly works, these artists melded the French marine painting tradition with their own experiences to create new interpretations of realiry and moderniry.
Oarsmen at Chatou, ca. 1875-1879 by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) In this scene of Chatou, a village downriver ftom Argenteuil, Renoir depicts a boating party. In the foreground is a gig, or two-person rowboat. Other boats on the river include sculls, a sailboat, and a river barge. The vivid colors and lively brushwork evoke the sparkling sunlight and reflective waters ofa summer day on the river.
Rivers-Paris and Environs Seeking fresh air, exercise, and relaxation, day-trippers and weekenders from Paris frequented the suburban stretches along the inland waterways of northern France. In particular, the small historic town of Arge nteuil to the west of Paris, where the Seine is wide (682') and deep (78') , rapidly became the center of recreational sailing for the whole of France. Many of the Impressionists embraced pleasure boating, both as a pastime and a source of artistic inspiration. C laude Monet lived in Argenteuil from 187 1 until 1878, painting roughly seventy-five views of the river, many from a flo ating studio boat. Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Caillebo tte also captured the atmospheric river at Argente uil. A number of the Impressionists drew upon personal nautical experience to present boats o n the water in a surprisingly realistic m anner.
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The Studio Boat, 1874 by Claude Monet
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Inspired by the example of Charles-Franfois D aubigny's floating studio, Claude Monet built his own studio boat in the mid-l 870s. The vessel, shown here at its mooring in Argenteuil, gave the artist a near-waterline perspective of the landscape, and the ever changing atmospheric conditions of the riverine environment.
SEA HISTORY 145, WINTER 20 13- 14
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