Canal in Autumn (Gisors)

1913

Henri Le Sidaner

(French, 1862–1939)

Culture

France, early 20th century

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Unframed: 53.3 x 63.5 cm (21 x 25 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Vignos Jr. 2011.73

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Le Sidaner often painted from memory rather than directly on site, and his subdued use of color applied in uneven brushstrokes bring a poetic, dreamlike effect to his paintings.

Description

This painting depicts a canal in Gisors, a commune in Normandy, about 40 miles northwest of Paris on the river Epte. Le Sidaner painted this work in a Divisionist technique of applying pure color in large, broken strokes, often separated by areas of white or gray. Unlike the Impressionists, Le Sidaner preferred a restrained palette of delicately nuanced tones that evoke a mood of quiet mystery. His views of old canals, typically portrayed in a crepuscular or nocturnal light, and completely absent of figures, allude to the passage of time and a timeless eternity that exceeds the human life span.