Who painted Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris)?

Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris) was painted by Paul Huet in c. 1824/1828.

Where can I see Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris)?

Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris)?

Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris) is associated with French Romanticism.

Artwork

Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris)

Paul Huet , 1826

Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris) is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Paul Huet. It dates from 1826 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

Executed in 1826, this work is an oil painting applied to a wood support.

Executed in 1826, this work is an oil painting applied to a wood support. The composition measures approximately 29.2 by 51.4 centimeters. While the piece entered the National Gallery of Art's collection following a period of misattribution to Charles-François Daubigny under the title The Creek, it is currently recognized as a creation by Paul Huet depicting a curve of the Seine near Paris.

The small scale and choice of a wooden panel rather than canvas suggest a study or intimate landscape format typical of the artist's approach during this period.

History & Provenance

The work was painted in 1826 by Paul Huet, depicting a curve of the Seine near Paris. It entered the collection of Edward C. Walker and his wife Mary Griffin Walker of Willistead Manor, Ontario, who bequeathed it to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington in 1937. The painting was later acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 2015.

The painting entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2015, having been acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had previously held the work.

Its provenance traces to Edward C. Walker (d. 1915) and Mary Griffin Walker (1855–1937) of Willistead Manor, Walkerville, Ontario, and Washington. The Walkers bequeathed the work to the Corcoran Gallery of Art on 4 May 1937, at which point it was recorded under the title _The Creek_ and attributed to Charles François Daubigny. It was later reattributed to Paul Huet and re-titled _Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris)_, before joining the National Gallery of Art's collection in 2015.

Overview

Paul Huet’s early work, Le Bas Meudon (A Curve of the Seine near Paris), dates to around 1826 and is executed in oil on a wooden panel. The composition presents a stretch of the Seine flanked by trees beneath a cloudy sky, rendered in a palette of subdued browns, muted greens and soft grays that convey a quiet, atmospheric mood.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures a tranquil riverside bend, emphasizing the interplay of water, foliage and sky. By focusing on the fleeting qualities of light and weather, Huet invites contemplation of nature’s transitory character, a concern typical of early Romantic landscape painting that seeks emotional resonance over precise topographical detail.