Théodore Rousseau, 'River Scene', about 1840-60

This painting includes several features often found in landscapes by Théodore Rousseau. In the middle distance a solitary figure, painted in monochrome, fishes from a flat-bottomed boat or punt moored in an inlet of water, which may be part of a river estuary. Although there are trees, the landscape is flat and marshy with small rivulets running through it. The thin strip of grey-blue on the horizon suggests a further expanse of open water, perhaps a wide river or the sea.

Rousseau constructed the picture as a series of horizontal bands of water, land and sky – with the latter taking up two-thirds of the picture. Despite the small size of the canvas, this simplified composition and the small figure create an effect of expansive space. The absence of dramatic or picturesque effects enhances the slightly melancholic mood.

The picture is similar to Rousseau’s river landscapes of the 1850s, which were all studio compositions based on scenery along the west coast of France. It is likely he painted it in the studio as a souvenir of visits to the Loire river, or perhaps to the Lay river in the Vendée.