The Seine at Rouen, Saint-Sever

My name is Feely T. Heart, and I will be your guide today through one of our paintings: nn Camille Pissarro's "The Seine at Rouen, Saint-Sever" invites us to experience the bustling energy of a French industrial harbor at the turn of the 20th century. Painted in 1896, this work captures the very air of the industrial revolution, with smoking chimneys rising above a cluster of buildings on the river's edge. Pissarro masterfully uses a muted palette of blues, greens, and grays to depict a hazy, overcast day, giving the scene a sense of atmospheric perspective. nn Notice how the artist uses short, broken brushstrokes, characteristic of the Impressionist style, to convey the shimmering surface of the water and the movement of the boats. This technique, rather than creating photorealistic detail, allows viewers to experience the scene as a fleeting moment captured in time. nn "The Seine at Rouen, Saint-Sever," currently housed in the renowned Musée d'Orsay, offers us a glimpse into a pivotal period of technological advancement and its impact on the landscape. Pissarro, a leading figure in the Impressionist movement, captures not just the physical reality of the industrial harbor, but also the changing atmosphere and light of the modern world.