Le petit bras de la Seine à Argenteuil

This 1884 canvas shows the petit bras — the secondary channel of the Seine — at Argenteuil, the town that had been the centre of Impressionist river painting in the early 1870s. By 1884 Argenteuil had grown more industrial and Monet had left, but Caillebotte continued visiting and painting the river there. The secondary arm of the Seine at Argenteuil, with its quieter water and willow-lined banks, provided an intimate alternative to the main channel's more populated shores. This work documents Caillebotte's ongoing engagement with the Seine landscape after the heroic decade of Impressionist Argenteuil.

Caillebotte renders the secondary channel with his characteristic spatial precision — the banks clearly defined, the water surface reflecting sky and vegetation in accurately observed perspective. The palette is warm and summery, with rich greens along the banks and warm blues in the water. Brushwork is fluent and confident.