The Seine at Vernon

In 1911, Pierre Bonnard bought a house in Vernonnet, christening it “La Roulotte”. This choice of real estate allowed him to regularly visit Claude Monet, whilst also keeping him apart from the hustle and bustle of the colony of painters settled in Giverny. Bonnard positioned himself by the riverbank amongst dense vegetation to paint “The Seine at Vernon”. An impression of almost wild luxury is communicated through the canvas. In the foreground, the green, blue, and orange tones occupy the whole space. The silver ribbon of the Seine emerges through some holes. On the opposite bank, the dark silhouette of the Vernon hills rise, with a highly contrasted backlight and a sumptuous yellow and pink sky above them in the golden tones of dawn.

Cyrille Sciama