The Seine, from Chantemesle's Heights

The Seine, from Chantemesle's Heights (1881) was painted during the years following Camille's death when Monet was exploring the Seine valley around Vétheuil and beyond. Chantemesle is a hamlet on the Seine valley bluffs opposite La Roche-Guyon, offering elevated views across the river that contrast with the more intimate riverside perspectives of the Argenteuil period. By 1881 Monet was beginning to tire of Vétheuil and preparing the eventual move to Giverny; these elevated Seine valley panoramas have a more expansive, searching quality than the earlier intimate river paintings. The canvas is held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen.

An elevated viewpoint creates a panoramic composition with the Seine winding through the valley below. Warm summer foliage and the silvery river are handled in broad zones of color. Sky and distant hills recede through tonal modulation; brushwork is varied from controlled distance strokes to freer marks in the foreground.