The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 12, 2024

Canal in Autumn (Gisors)

Canal in Autumn (Gisors)

1913
(French, 1862–1939)
France, early 20th century
oil on canvas
Unframed: 53.3 x 63.5 cm (21 x 25 in.)
Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Vignos, Jr. 2011.73
Location: 222 Impressionism & Post-Impressionism

Did You Know?

Le Sidaner often painted from memory rather than directly on site, and his subdued use of color applied in uneven brushstrokes bring a poetic, dreamlike effect to his paintings.

Description

This painting depicts a canal in Gisors, a commune in Normandy, about 40 miles northwest of Paris on the river Epte. Le Sidaner painted this work in a Divisionist technique of applying pure color in large, broken strokes, often separated by areas of white or gray. Unlike the Impressionists, Le Sidaner preferred a restrained palette of delicately nuanced tones that evoke a mood of quiet mystery. His views of old canals, typically portrayed in a crepuscular or nocturnal light, and completely absent of figures, allude to the passage of time and a timeless eternity that exceeds the human life span.
  • Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, France (inv. nr. 2141 and 9222, acquired from the artist)
    (Bonfoey Company, Cleveland, OH sold to Dr. Paul J. Vignos, Jr.)
    Dr. Paul J. Vignos, Jr., [1919-2010], Gates Mills, OH by bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2011-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    Provenance Footnotes
    1  Letter of authentication from the artist's son, Louis Le Sidaner, dated Paris, July 17, 1978. 
  • Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Yann. Le Sidaner: l'oeuvre peint et grave. Paris, France: Andre Sauret, 1989. Reproduced: p. 316
  • Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
  • {{cite web|title=Canal in Autumn (Gisors)|url=false|author=Henri Le Sidaner|year=1913|access-date=12 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2011.73