Gezicht op de kade van de Seine in Rouen

Gezicht op de kade van de Seine in Rouen is a print created by Camille Jacob Pissarro in 1896. This work, executed on paper, captures the bustling atmosphere along the docks of Rouen, a critical commercial port in northern France. Although Pissarro is most famed for his foundational role in Impressionist painting, he maintained a lifelong practice in graphic arts, often using prints to explore compositional ideas and different viewpoints. This piece exemplifies his late-career interest in rendering organized, dynamic urban landscapes rather than the intimate rural scenes of his earlier output.

The composition focuses on the confluence of industrial architecture, the active shipping lanes of the Seine river, and the careful organization of vessels and activity along the quai. Pissarro meticulously details the rigging of the ships and the distant factory smokestacks, emphasizing the rapid industrial development of the late nineteenth century. The structured view and reliance on geometric forms distinguish this work from his earlier, more atmospheric studies.

In the 1890s, Pissarro systematically embarked on several series focusing on major French cities, shifting to highly structured cityscapes that allowed him to explore modernity. This print of Gezicht op de kade van de Seine in Rouen maintains the Impressionist commitment to observing contemporary life while applying a more rigorous structure suited to the print medium. As a key example of the artist’s graphic work, the image contributes significantly to the study of Pissarro’s stylistic transition near the end of his life. This particular impression is part of the esteemed prints collection of the Rijksmuseum, and like many works by this master, high-resolution images are often made available for study through the public domain.