The Seine at Pont de Grenelle

Painted in 1875 when Gauguin was just 27 years old, this Seine landscape represents a fascinating moment in the artist's early development—before he became the revolutionary Post-Impressionist we know today. At this time, Gauguin was still working as a successful Paris stockbroker, earning a substantial income while painting only in his spare time. His interest in art had been kindled by visits to galleries and exhibitions, and he had recently come under the mentorship of Camille Pissarro, the leading Impressionist who introduced him to the movement's techniques and artists.

This work from Pont de Grenelle, a bridge crossing the Seine in Paris, shows Gauguin painting very much in the Impressionist mode of the 1870s—capturing the play of light on water, the atmospheric effects of the Parisian landscape, and the modern industrial cityscape. The Art Institute's records show he was creating still lifes and exploring traditional subjects during this period, as evidenced by his 1880 'Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher.' It would be nearly a decade before Gauguin would abandon his stockbroking career after the 1882 market crash, and even longer before he would develop the bold colors, Symbolist themes, and Synthetist style that defined his mature work in Brittany and Tahiti. This Seine painting captures Gauguin at the very beginning of his artistic journey, still finding his voice within the conventions of Impressionism.