Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil
- Artist: Édouard Manet
- Date: 1874
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil by Édouard Manet. Painted in 1874 with oil on canvas, it marks a bold shift in his style. Manet was in Argenteuil for a summer, staying with Claude Monet, and this canvas captures the energy of a plein‑air experiment. You’ll see Monet’s younger followers’ light, but Manet’s signature thick, almost impasto strokes dominate the scene. The figures—Monet’s wife Camille and their son Jean—lean casually against the bank, giving the composition a relaxed, almost candid feel. Beyond them, a line of barges lined up on the other side of the Seine ferry off laundry, a subtle nod to everyday life. Manet’s palette bursts with bright blues, greens, and ochres, while his use of deep blacks anchors the composition, adding depth and weight. The water ripples are rendered with swift, almost hurried brushwork, a clear homage to Monet’s influence. It’s a fascinating blend of the emerging Impressionist palette and Manet’s traditional, painterly approach, making it a standout piece from that period.
See it in person
Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
