The Seine at Bercy
Painting on canvas • Paul Cézanne
Style & Movement
Early Impressionism / Realism transition
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, utilizing academic realism with subtle impasto in the water reflections and atmospheric glazing in the sky.
Creation Period
1878
Dimensions & Format
59 x 72 cm; landscape format
Subject Description
A view of the Seine river at Bercy, featuring several steam barges and river traffic. The composition is structured by the diagonal of the stone quay on the right, leading the eye toward the distant bridge and buildings of Paris under a soft, clouded sky.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent to Very Good, showing stable paint layers and well-preserved luminosity.
Estimated Market Value
$15,000,000 - $25,000,000
Auction Estimate
$18,000,000 - $22,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of Victor Chocquet, Paris; currently housed in the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany.
Art Historical Significance
A critical transitional work from Cézanne's early 'dark period' into a more objective study of light and structure. It demonstrates his engagement with contemporary urban life and the influence of Pissarro on his palette and brushwork.
Notable Features
Housed in a grand 19th-century gilded Barbizon-style frame with a brass identification plaque. The brushwork in the water shows the beginning of Cézanne's constructive stroke technique.
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure visible in the heavier white lead pigments of the sky; slight yellowing of old varnish may be present.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable humidity (50% +/- 5%) and temperature. Low UV lighting is required to protect the delicate blue pigments.