''On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt'' (''Au bord de l’eau; Bennecourt'') or ''River Scene at Bennecourt'' is an 1868 oil on canvas painting by

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

, now in the collection of the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

, to which it was given by the Palmer family in 1922. The picture portrays Monet's model, partner and future wife

Camille Doncieux Camille-Léonie Doncieux (; 15 January 1847 – 5 September 1879) was the first wife of French painter Claude Monet, with whom she had two sons. She was the subject of a number of paintings by Monet, as well as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Édoua ...

looking back from an island in the Seine towards the village of Gloton on the outskirts of Bennecourt, where they were temporarily staying with their young son, Jean. It was painted at a low point in Monet's life: after being thrown out of their Gloton rooms he threw himself in the river the following night (with no serious aftereffects) before returning home to Paris alone.

Provenance

It had been bought by Louis Aimé Léon Clapisson of

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

for 500 francs. He lent it to the

Galerie Georges Petit Georges Petit (; 11 March 1856 – 12 May 1920) was a French art dealer, a key figure in the Paris art world and an important promoter and cultivator of Impressionist artists. Early career Petit was the son of François Petit, who founded the ...

for its exhibition ''Claude Monet; A. Rodin'' in 1889. Clapisson sold it for 1,500 francs on 21 April 1892 to

Durand-Ruel Paul Durand-Ruel (; 31 October 1831 – 5 February 1922) was a French art dealer associated with the Impressionism, Impressionists and the Barbizon school, Barbizon School. Being the first to support artists such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, ...

, who on 18 May the same year sold it on to

Potter Palmer Potter Palmer (May 20, 1826 – May 4, 1902) was an American businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street (Chicago), State Street in Chicago. Born in Albany County, New York,List of paintings by Claude Monet This is a list of works by Claude Monet (1840–1926), including all the extant finished paintings but Water Lilies (Monet series), excluding the ''Water Lilies'', which can be found here, and preparatory black and white sketches.

References

{{Claude Monet category:Paintings by Claude Monet category:1868 paintings Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago Ships in art River Seine in art