À propos de l’œuvre
Le Bassin d'Argenteuil, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · Plunging view of the marina · Eskenazi Museum of Art
The Argenteuil Basin W335hand painted reproduction
Monet dominates the Argenteuil basin from a high embankment. A long green bank, lined with trees and houses, descends towards the water where sailboats, boats and masts huddle together. On the right, a yellow building cuts the edge of the painting. The plunging framing brings together the landscape, water sports and signs of the port in a surprisingly dense view.
Look at the work
The high view transforms the pool into a succession of banks, hulls and masts
The grassy slope starts from the lower left corner and leads towards the center. A few tiny figures take the path or stand near the water. The trees partially hide the houses and form a warm mass in opposition to the clear expanse of the pool.
The boats are distributed over the entire surface of the water, their masts and their reflections creating fine verticals. White sails animate the distance. The yellow building on the right serves as a geometric counterweight to the irregular embankment on the left.
The basin is seen as an inhabited space: the natural landscape, paths, workshops and pleasure boats work together.
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.
An unusually high view
The plunging perspective narrows the horizon and simultaneously shows the embankment, nearby boats and distant sailboats. This height gives the eye the freedom to move between several small scenes.
Two banks which frame the basin
The green and wooded embankment occupies the left while the yellow building cuts the right. Between these masses, the water forms a luminous corridor where all navigation is organized.
A discreet but omnipresent modernity
Developed paths, buildings, anchorages and sailboats bear witness to the growth of leisure activities in Argenteuil. Monet integrates them into the light of the river without transforming the canvas into a descriptive inventory.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The visual corresponds to the Port d'Argenteuil, inventory 76.15 of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art and Wildenstein number 335. The image of 1024 × 863 px has been preserved at its native definition and encoded as a real WebP.
The embankment brings together several greens and ochres
Grass, path, shadows and foliage must remain distinct despite their proximity. This variety prevents the left bank from forming an opaque mass.
Boats maintain hierarchical sizes
Nearby hulls are dark and legible; the bottom sails become simple light triangles. This progressive passage builds the distance in the pool.
The yellow building balances the stage
Its warm and geometric facade contrasts with the greens of the embankment and the blue grays of the water. Its cut from the right edge must be respected to maintain the original framing.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
Painted in 1874, this oil on canvas measures 55.2 × 65.7 cm. It is kept at the Eskenazi Museum of Art under inventory 76.15 and listed as Wildenstein 335.
Argenteuil, laboratory of impressionism
In 1874, Monet frequently worked with Renoir, Sisley or Manet in the surrounding area. The pool, easily accessible from Paris by train, brings together the themes of light, modern life and leisure.
The port and its anchorages
The canvas shows less of a regatta than of a daily navigation space: moored sailboats, small boats and scattered figures. The numerous masts give structure to the water without closing it.
Wildenstein 335, Eskenazi collection
Number W335 identifies this bird's eye view among the many Argenteuil Basins of 1874. The work bears inventory 76.15 at the Indiana University Museum.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Respect the bird's eye view and the slope of the bank.
- Maintain the diversity of boats and their masts.
- Keep the yellow building partially cut.
- Differentiate the reflections of the shells without stiffening them.
Work sheet
| Title | The Argenteuil Basin W335 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1874 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 55.2 × 65.7 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Bloomington, Indiana, United States |
| Inventory | 76.15 · Wildenstein 335 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This port scene is suitable for a living room, dining room or office. A medium oak, dark green or matte gold frame accompanies the pool; a linen or light gray wall brings out the sails.
