River Scene
Artist: Theodore Rousseau (French, 1812 - 1867)
Original Dimensions: 12 3/8" x 15 7/8"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1840-60) "In the middle distance, a solitary figure fishes from a flat-bottomed boat or punt moored in an inlet of water, which may be part of a river estuary. Although there are trees, the landscape is flat and marshy with small rivulets running through it. The thin strip of grey-blue on the horizon suggests a further expanse of open water, perhaps a wide river or the sea. The absence of dramatic or picturesque effects enhances the slightly melancholic mood. The picture is similar to Rousseau’s river landscapes of the 1850s, which were all studio compositions based on scenery along the west coast of France. It is likely he painted it in the studio as a souvenir of visits to the Loire river, or perhaps to the Lay river in the Vendée." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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