River Scenery, ca. 1889

About the Work

The river is so still that the houses are clearly reflected in its surface. Twilight is slowly enveloping the village while two boys chat on the river bank and a man in a boat calmly goes about his business. Time seems to be standing still in this scene, which the artist has reproduced with soft brushstrokes and muted colours. Whether the darkening sky and the steamer approaching from the left represent a threat to the idyll remains open. The influence of Camille Corot is evident in the velvety brushwork of the painting. Pidoll came into contact with Corot's paintings during the 1880s, when he travelled regularly for a time between Paris and Luxembourg.