oil on canvas
circa 1902
lower left
72 × 90 cm
frame
This impressionist painting of refined colours and composition represents the work of Václav Radimský from the most sought-after period of the artist’s work at the turn of the 19th century. Based on his peculiar and original reception of French models, Radimský paid attention to faithfully capture the airy atmosphere and even every tangible gust of wind bending the grass. He didn’t forget the light either, which, thanks to the refined application of contrasting colours, allows the painting to shine from within, almost without the need for external light sources. At the same time, this canvas portraying a river landscape, as if straight from a fishing boat, managed to capture the inner trembling of every detail of nature. As is typical for his style, the artist shrouded the watercourse in “white light”, which Guillaume Apollinaire himself spoke critically about – however, his other words relating to the painter’s work, which he especially appreciated for the “rare purity and honesty”, apply here as well. The scene depicts a specific location: a village directly on the Seine River called Le Goulet, which is located near Vernon and Giverny, northwest of Paris. Giverny was for Radimský, like many other landscape painters, an essential source of inspiration; he went there in search of the very roots of impressionism as early as 1894. Just one year later, he settled in the village of Le Goulet in the old disused mill, La Bergamotte. He set up a studio there and he also had a boat moored on the Seine, which he used as a floating studio, from which he most likely captured the presented painting. Works of comparable style, rendering, and subject matter can be found in the artist’s last monograph and inventory (N. Blažíčková-Horová: Václav Radimský, 1867–1946, Řevnice 2011, cat. No. 148, 151 and 152, p. 233). The painting was exhibited in Rouen, 2015, under the title Le Goulet, vue de la Seine. Assessed during consultations by prof. J. Zemina and Mgr. M. Dospěl, Ph.D. The expertise of Mgr. P. Kubík is attached.