The Valley of the Seine, from the Hills of Giverny

A sunlit landscape set in the outskirts of Giverny, 45 miles northwest of Paris, this painting is one in a series of three closely related views completed by Theodore Robinson in the summer of 1892, and reflects the influence of Robinson's friend, French impressionist painter Claude Monet. Monet had settled in Giverny in 1883, and Robinson, a frequent visitor to the picturesque town, befriended the well-known but aloof master. Over their years of friendship, Monet influenced Robinson's work in notable ways, inspiring him to lighten his palette and to relax the highly polished painting techniques acquired from his academic training. Most importantly, by referencing Monet's practice, Robinson began to create multiple works depicting the same subject under different effects of light and weather.

By early August 1892, Robinson had completed the ambitious series of three sweeping panoramas of which this is a part. To accurately capture the play of sunlight and clouds on the meadows, Robinson alternated working on the three canvases as weather conditions shifted. The present painting depicts the sunniest of the scenes; the second sun-filled painting, _Valley of the Seine_, is owned by the Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA). The third painting, also titled _Valley of the Seine_, but depicting the area under cloud cover, is in the collection of the Maier Museum of Art (Lynchburg, VA). Encouraged by Monet's praise, Robinson sent the Addison Gallery canvas to the Society of American Artists exhibition in the spring of 1893. Although the other two paintings would not be publicly exhibited until after the artist's untimely death in 1896, the series remained a touchstone of artistic achievement for Robinson throughout his career.