Artwork
The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin)
The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin) is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Theodore Robinson. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Together they construct a rural tableau typical of late‑19th‑century American landscape painting, emphasizing quiet agrarian activity and the passage of time.
The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin) portrays a modest stone mill set beside a country road, the composition centered on the building’s roof and the winding path that leads toward it. The mill functions as the primary iconographic element, while the road provides a linear guide that connects foreground and background. Together they construct a rural tableau typical of late‑19th‑century American landscape painting, emphasizing quiet agrarian activity and the passage of time.
The work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the American Wing’s landscape collection.
Technique & Style
Painted in 1892, The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin) is an oil on canvas landscape measuring 45.7 by 55.6 cm. The work depicts a building and a road, rendered in the landscape genre typical of Theodore Robinson's practice. The medium of oil paint on canvas support allows for the atmospheric handling characteristic of the artist's approach to rural subjects.
History & Provenance
The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin) is an oil on canvas landscape painted by Theodore Robinson in 1892. The work shows a building and a road and was classified as part of The American Wing. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view in the museum’s galleries.
The painting’s creation date is documented as 1892, and its dimensions measure 45.7 cm by 55.6 cm. Its provenance traces to the museum’s permanent holdings, indicating continuous ownership by the institution since acquisition.
The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin) is an 1892 oil on canvas landscape by Theodore Robinson. The painting is recorded in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed within the American Wing. The work’s dimensions, as documented in the museum’s catalogue, measure 45.7 cm by 55.6 cm. No accession or inventory number is specified in the cited documentation, and the sources do not mention any public exhibition of the piece beyond its inclusion in the museum’s permanent holdings.
Overview
Theodore Robinson's The Old Mill (Vieux Moulin), an oil on canvas from approximately 1892, presents a landscape scene. The painting features a weathered wooden mill and a quiet, curving road, rendered with a particular emphasis on atmospheric conditions. This work exemplifies Robinson's engagement with the effects of natural light within a rural setting.
Context
This landscape was created around 1892 while Theodore Robinson was living in Giverny, France. His residence in this village placed him in close proximity to Claude Monet, a leading figure in Impressionism. This environment fostered Robinson's exploration of light and atmosphere, evident in his efforts to render the specific visual conditions of the French countryside.
Artist & collection
Artist
Theodore Robinson was an American painter best known for his Impressionist landscapes.
