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The River

ca. 1864
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
In this painting and Cider (on view nearby), Puvis developed his conception for a mural honoring the French territory of Picardy. Here, men construct a bridge over the Somme River while women bathe and mend fishing nets. Their draperies provide vivid accents of color amid the soft hues of the landscape. The final versions of Cider and The River are part of a cycle decorating the Musée de Picardie in Amiens.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The River
  • Artist: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (French, Lyons 1824–1898 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1864
  • Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
  • Dimensions: 51 x 99 1/4 in. (129.5 x 252.1 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.46.2
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

Audio

Cover Image for 6012. The River and Cider

6012. The River and Cider

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More Artwork

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Cider, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French, Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
Cider
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
ca. 1864
A Muse of Poetry, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French, Graphite and chalk on paper
A Muse of Poetry
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
19th century
Sleep: sketch for the painting, now in the museum at Lille, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French, Pen and brown ink on tracing paper
Sleep: sketch for the painting, now in the museum at Lille
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
1840–98
Sketch for War, painting in the Museum of Picardy at Amiens, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French, Black chalk touched with white and red chalk
Sketch for War, painting in the Museum of Picardy at Amiens
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
ca. 1861
Study for Geometry in “The Sorbonne", Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French, Fabricated black crayon, squared with blue crayon
Study for Geometry in “The Sorbonne"
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
1886–87

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