Bank of the Seine, 1887
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Oil on Canvas, 32 X 46 cm
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
(Vincent van Gogh Stichting)
F 293

In the summer of 1887 Van Gogh often worked on the banks of the Seine at Asni?res, a suburb of Paris. He was under the spell of French Impressionism, but had also been introduced to the latest painting technique, Pointillism. Each of these committed bright color to canvas, in dabs and dots, respectively. After his own fashion, Van Gogh exploited them both, as we see here, with his long stripes for water, small dots for trees, and large touches for the sky. The impression of the effect of light and the reflection of the banks in the water are well rendered.