The Seine and its Painters

Paris and its infamous river have long been the treasured subject of many a painter. Not much has changed, though, as artists still set up their easels on the Seine’s banks. Although certain artists such as Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh preferred the lighting found on the rivers in Rouen and Auvers-sur-Oise, Paris was never brushed aside.

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir painted thousands of works, many of which brought to life the “guinguette,” a festive, open-air café that was popular among common folk and that took place along the Seine’s banks. Although he was primarily interested in figurative painting, Renoir also painted more realistic landscapes like this one of the Pont Neuf in 1872, now on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. USA.

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Pont Neuf

Nicolas-Jean-Baptiste Raguenet (1715-1793)

The works of Nicolas-Jean-Baptiste Raguenet are primarily consecrated to views of Paris and of the Seine. His paintings are like documentaries that provide a window onto the life and landscape of Paris during the 18th century. Raguenet’s works are on display at the Carnavalet Museum, the History of Paris Museum, and at the Petit-Palais, among others.

Raguenet, Pont Neuf, la Samaritaine et la pointe de la Cité

Johan Bartold Jongkind (1819-1891)

Jongkind is known for being the forerunner to the Impressionist movement. Domiciled at 127 boulevard Montmartre in Paris, Monet was just one of the many Impressionist artists Jongking would directly influence. Two of his most famous works of the capital are Paris, Notre-Dame, Vue du quai de la Tournelle (1852) and Vue de Paris, La Seine, L’Estacade (1853).

Johan Barthold Jongkind, Vue de Paris, la Seine, l'Estacade

Albert Lebourg (1849-1929)

A student of the Ecole de Rouen and teacher in Alger, Lebourg favored winter landscapes and waterside scenes in his works. It’s only natural, then, that the Seine and Paris would count among his most preferred models. His most famous works are Paris, Le Pont-Neuf (1909) and Paris, le Pont de l’Archevêché et Notre-Dame de Paris, Vus du Quai de la Tournelle (1909).

Paris and the Seine are extremely photogenic subjects. All artists -- old and new, impressionist and realist -- are interested in the different nuances of light that Paris offers. If you’re looking for more painted views of the Seine, head to the Musée Carnavalet (the Musée de la Ville) and the Petit-Palais (the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Paris).