On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt by Claude Monet depicts the artist's future wife, Camille Doncieux, sitting near the River Seine. Monet began the painting while he, Camille, and their new son, Jean, were staying at an inn near the village of Bonnières-sur-Seine. During this early phase in his career, the artist was struggling financially (unable to pay, he and his family were forced to leave the inn after several weeks). Although he was discouraged by the unfavorable response to his works, young Monet was on the verge of an unprecedented artistic breakthrough.
On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt
oil on canvas • 81.5 × 100.7 cm
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Claude Monet