Émilie Charmy (1877 - 1974), The Seine at Ablon

In La Seine à Ablon, the composition opens onto a landscape crossed by the Seine, under a sky animated by shifting clouds. In the distance, a train passes discreetly by, suggested by a dark, elongated line, a symbol of modernity and movement, contrasting with the tranquility of the surrounding countryside. On the right, a boat resting on the water adds a peaceful note, evoking everyday life by the river.

In Saint-Cloud, as early as 1904, Émilie Charmy began a relationship with Charles Camoin, which brought her into contact with the Fauves. In 1912, in Paris, the artist met her future husband, Lyonnais painter Georges Bouche. Supported by Count Étienne de Jouvencel, and living alongside Georges Bouche in their large home in Ablon-sur-Seine, Émilie Charmy enjoyed her greatest successes in the 1920s.

Landscapes are rare in Émilie Charmy's work, which is mainly devoted to portraits and nudes. The pictures painted at Ablon-sur-Seine all date from 1926 to 1930 and are characteristic of her style of painting in a generous, vigorously applied paste.