À propos de l’œuvre
Le secteur de l'énergie, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · The Argenteuil promenade around 1872 · National Gallery of Art
Argenteuil W223hand painted reproduction
A clear road runs along the Seine under a row of trees. Two sailboats slide on the water, three figures rest in the shadows and, in the distance, houses and chimneys mark the modern city. Monet balances the promenade, the river and the vast sky in a calm early afternoon light.
Look at the work
A promenade connects the Seine to the modern city
The path starts from the lower right edge and narrows towards a turret house. The row of trees creates a regular vertical border, but their foliage and shadows vary with each trunk. Two women and a child appear near the first tree, almost absorbed by the coolness of the undergrowth.
On the left, the Seine forms a triangle of calm water punctuated by two sails. Marante Island gently closes the horizon. Further on, buildings and chimneys frame the house, reminding us that Argenteuil then brings together landscape, habitat, industry and nautical leisure activities.
The path does not lead outside the landscape: it brings together trees, walkers, sailboats and chimneys in the same experience of 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.
Two complementary triangles
The river widens towards the left foreground while the promenade advances from the right. Their diagonals meet near distant buildings.
A non-mechanical row of shafts
Heights, shadows and density of foliage change slightly. This variation avoids the rigid alignment effect and circulates light.
Low contrast modernity
Fireplaces and buildings remain small and pale. Monet integrates them into the landscape instead of making them a separate or spectacular subject.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The open photograph in the National Gallery of Art corresponds to inventory 1970.17.42, W223. It allows us to distinguish the three figures under the trees, the two sailboats, the turret house and the chimneys in the distance.
A sky tuned to half the format
The low horizon line lets the clouds breathe and creates a feeling of space that the path extends.
Transparent shadows
Under the trees, greens and browns remain crossed by blue and yellow. Dark areas never completely close the scene.
A shorter key in the foreground
Herbs, reflections and sun spots are indicated by distinct gestures; distant shapes tighten and lose contrast.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
The National Gallery of Art maintains this view under inventory 1970.17.42; the Wildenstein catalog raisonné records it under number 223.
The walk along the Seine
The site combines the towpath, Marante Island and the constructions of Argenteuil, a town where Monet settled at the end of 1871.
Probably Durand-Ruel in 1872
The provenance published by the museum indicates a possible purchase from Monet by Paul Durand-Ruel in 1872.
Ailsa Mellon Bruce
Ailsa Mellon Bruce acquired the painting in 1966 and bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in 1970.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Respect the convergence of the path and the triangular shape of the Seine.
- Keep the three characters small but readable in the shade of the trees.
- Differentiate trees by their tones and silhouettes without breaking their rhythm.
- Maintain buildings and fireplaces in a paler range than the foreground.
Work sheet
| Title | Argenteuil W223 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | Around 1872 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 50.4 × 65.2 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | National Gallery of Art, Washington, United States |
| Inventory | 1970.17.42 · Wildenstein 223 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
Its deep greens, ocher path and creamy blue sky give serene light to a living room, entrance or office. An oak, light walnut or patinated bronze frame accompanies the horizontal construction without weighing down the landscape.
