The Watermill, Bougival
About this artwork
In the nineteenth century, Bougival emerged as a favourite spot for artists. It was located along the Seine just west of Paris, and like many other hamlets along the river, it was gradually being transformed into one of the city’s suburbs. Maris visited Bougival in 1871 while he was living in Paris. He had recently abandoned figure painting and instead showed an interest in landscape. This painting shows Maris’s absorption of a number of different influences, particularly the work of Daubigny in his broad strokes of the brush and arrangement of the scene. The lone figure in a rowing boat and the dilapidated old watermill look back to a past way of life. Maris deliberately rejected the encroachment of modern city life on the village. This small sketch was undoubtedly painted outside.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Jacob Maris (1837 - 1899) Dutch
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title:The Watermill, Bougival
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date created:Dated 1871
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materials:Oil on panel
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measurements:15.20 x 21.00 cm; Framed: 34.50 x 40.00 x 9.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Bequest of Dr John Kirkhope 1920
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accession number:NG 1471
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gallery:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Jacob Maris
Jacob Maris
Born in The Hague, Maris trained in Antwerp and Paris, where he was greatly influenced by the art of the Barbizon painters. Much of his early work consisted of domestic scenes of figures. When Jacob returned to his native town in the summer of 1871, he had turned his back on figurative painting to...