Artwork
Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen
Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: Claude Monet
About this work
Technique & Style
Monet applied oil paint to a canvas support to render Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen, a marine scene depicting a boat on the river.
Monet applied oil paint to a canvas support to render Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen, a marine scene depicting a boat on the river. The work measures 37.7 cm by 46 cm and was executed in 1872. Monet’s handling of brushwork and tonal modulation conveys atmospheric effects characteristic of Impressionist technique, while the composition emphasizes the movement of water and light across the surface.
The painting’s condition reflects its age, with visible craquelure in the varnish and areas of pigment loss along the edges. These formal qualities contribute to its classification as a marine genre work within Monet’s early oeuvre.
The canvas was originally owned by Ernest Hoschedé and later entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection through a series of transactions involving Ailsa Mellon Bruce and Gabriel Cognacq.
History & Provenance
The painting Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen was created by Claude Monet in 1872. It entered the collection of Ernest Hoschedé, who later sold it at auction in Paris on 5 June 1878 (lot 48). The work was acquired by A. Dachery, then resold at Hôtel Drouot on 30 May 1899 (lot 40) to Ernest Cognacq.
After Cognacq’s death, it passed by inheritance to his nephew Gabriel Cognacq, who sold it through Galerie Charpentier in Paris on 14 May 1952 (lot 49). The painting was subsequently purchased by Alex Reid & Lefevre for Capt. Edward H. Molyneux, and sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in New York on 15 August 1955. Bruce bequeathed the work to the National Gallery of Art in 1970.
The painting is held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance begins with Ernest Hoschedé, who owned it before selling at the Hoschedé sale in Paris on 5 June 1878. Subsequent owners included A. Dachery, Ernest Cognacq, Gabriel Cognacq, Alex Reid & Lefevre, and Capt. Edward H. Molyneux, who acquired it after the 1952 United States exhibition of his collection. It was sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in 1955 and bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1970.
The work is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art's collection and was featured in a 1952 exhibition of Molyneux's collection.
Acquisition details include a purchase from Alex Reid & Lefevre in August 1955 and a bequest from Ailsa Mellon Bruce in 1970.
Overview
Claude Monet’s 1872 oil on canvas, Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen, presents a river scene near the French port city of Rouen. The composition centers on several vessels drifting on the water, rendered with a lightness that captures the fleeting atmosphere of the moment. Though modest in size, the work exemplifies Monet’s early forays into what would later be termed Impressionism.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on the Seine as a conduit for commerce and travel, with modest boats gently bobbing amid the river’s surface. By emphasizing the interaction of water, sky, and vessel, Monet conveys a sense of transience, inviting viewers to contemplate the ever‑changing play of light on a working river.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Oscar-Claude Monet was a French painter and founder of Impressionism who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it.
