À propos de l’œuvre
Argenteuil, fin d'après-midi, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · The Seine, the sailboats and the Pierre Joly factory · Museum Barberini
Argenteuil, late afternoon W224hand painted reproduction
A sailboat slides on the Seine in front of a bank planted with large trees. Between the trunks appears a light villa and the chimneys of the Pierre Joly metallurgical factory, bringing together leisure and industry in the same landscape. The pink and yellow light of the late afternoon softens the buildings of Argenteuil.
Look at the work
The Seine brings together walking, sailing and industry in the evening light
The water forms a wide strip in the foreground, animated by horizontal touches of blue, pink and green. The light sailboat stands out slightly to the left of the center. Its hull and sail introduce a flexible diagonal in the middle of the parallel banks.
On the opposite bank, tall trees alternate with the villa and fireplaces. Monet lets their shapes mingle: the foliage hides part of the buildings, while the smoke and clouds blend into the pale sky. Industrial modernity remains present without dominating the landscape.
In Argenteuil, Monet does not choose between nature and industry: he observes how trees, sails, chimneys and their reflections share the same light.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
The sailboat gives the measure of the Seine
Its small scale widens the width of the river. The clear sail catches the eye, then leads to the promenade and the buildings behind the row of trees.
A factory integrated into the daily landscape
The Museum Barberini identifies the Pierre Joly complex, specializing in metal construction. Its Louis XIII style villa and fireplaces bear witness to the rapid transformation of Argenteuil.
Late afternoon unifies opposites
The yellows and roses of the sky are found on the water, facades and trunks. This warm light reduces contrasts between natural, residential and industrial elements.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The visual corresponds to Argenteuil, late afternoon, oil on canvas from 1872, 60 × 81 cm, inventory MB-Mon-03 and Wildenstein 224. The unique WebP measures 2,560 × 1,876 px, definition of the file exact documentary selected, without artificial enlargement.
The sailboat remains small but perfectly placed
Its light sail stands out in front of the dark bank without occupying the exact center. Its inclination gives movement to the horizontal expanse.
Trees reveal architecture in fragments
Trunks, foliage, villa and chimneys intersect. Isolating them in silhouettes that are too clear would cause the depth of the bank to be lost.
The reflections take up the palette of the sky
Pink, pale yellow, blue and green cross the water in short strokes. Their juxtaposition creates late light without geometric mirror.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
Painted in 1872, this oil on canvas measures 60 × 81 cm. It belongs to the Hasso Plattner Collection of the Museum Barberini, inventory MB-Mon-03, and bears number 224 of the Wildenstein catalog.
Argenteuil, Monet's laboratory from 1871 to 1878
Based in the city with his family, Monet multiplies his views of the Seine, bridges, regattas, gardens and new infrastructures. There he developed a painting attentive to modern uses of the landscape.
The Pierre Joly Villa and Factory
The Museum Barberini notice identifies the promenade leading to the metal construction company. The two fireplaces frame an elegant Louis XIII style house visible between the trees.
A composition linked to another view of Argenteuil
Monet takes up in several paintings the body of water, the shore and the sailboats, varying the position of the trees and buildings. The late afternoon light sets the whole thing apart here.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Retain the reduced scale of the sailboat.
- Alternate trees, villas and fireplaces without rigid contours.
- Maintain the pink and yellow light of the sky.
- Fragment reflections into horizontal touches.
Work sheet
| Title | Argenteuil, late afternoon W224 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1872 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 60 × 81 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Museum Barberini, Potsdam, Germany |
| Inventory | MB-Mon-03 · Wildenstein 224 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This Argenteuil scene is suitable for a living room, dining room or office. A light wood, matte gold or gray blue frame accompanies the Seine; a cream, sage green or pale pink wall extends the light.
