Who painted The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre?

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre was painted by Henri Rousseau in 1908-01-01.

Where can I see The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre?

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre?

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre is associated with Naïve art.

Can I buy a print of The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre?

Museum-quality prints of The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre

Henri Rousseau , 1908

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre is an oil painting by the Naïve art artist Henri Rousseau. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts the working-class community of Bicêtre on the southern outskirts of Paris, focusing on the banks of the Bièvre river.

The painting depicts the working-class community of Bicêtre on the southern outskirts of Paris, focusing on the banks of the Bièvre river. In the background rise the aqueducts of Arcueil and Cachan, anchoring the scene in a specific Parisian suburb. Classified as a cityscape, the work is also identified as depicting a forest, situating Rousseau's characteristic lush vegetation within an urban-fringe setting.

Through its combination of an industrial-era aqueduct, a humble riverside community, and dense natural growth, the painting represents the meeting point between the built environment of early twentieth-century Paris and the encroaching countryside, a recurring concern in Rousseau's mature oeuvre.

Technique & Style

The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre is an oil-on-canvas painting measuring 54.6 by 45.7 cm. Rousseau worked in the naïve art movement, and the painting exemplifies his self-taught, untutored approach. The composition depicts a cityscape of the working-class Bicêtre suburb with the river Bièvre in the foreground and the Arcueil and Cachan aqueducts visible in the background.

History & Provenance

Painted in 1908 (c. 1908–09) by Henri Rousseau, the work is an oil‑on‑canvas cityscape that shows the Bièvre river near the working‑class suburb of Bicêtre on the southern edge of Paris.

Its early ownership is recorded with the dealer Étienne Bignou, and the painting was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the permanent collection since its purchase.

The work is dated 1908 and measures 54.6 cm in height by 45.7 cm in width.

The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was formerly owned by Étienne Bignou before entering the museum's collection. Sources do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they record any exhibition history.

Overview

Henri Rousseau's oil painting, The Banks of the Bièvre near Bicêtre, created around 1908–09, captures a specific locale. This canvas offers a view of a working-class area on the southern periphery of Paris, reflecting the artist's engagement with everyday scenes. The work is an example of Rousseau's distinctive approach to landscape and genre subjects, rendered in his characteristic style.