Along the Seine

 

 

Impressionism, locations

where the ‘impressionists’ did paint:

Along the Seine

a topographical overview

Introduction:
The ‘impressionists’ and other landscapists often painted at several places along the Seine. We will mention the most important locations, starting east of Paris at the confluence with the Marne and following the Seine westwards till Le Havre. The left bank of the Seine is mostly the south bank; because of the meandering sometimes the left bank is more in the west or the east. Sometimes we will go a bit more land inward.
Note: At some places the ‘impressionists’ and others made so many paintings, that you will be directed to a seperate page.

 

Ivry-sur-Seine:
Ivry-sur-Seine lies on the left bank of the Seine, just east of Paris. Here the Marne (coming from the east) flows into the Seine (coming from the south). (iR9) See seperate page on the confluence of the Seine and the Marne.

Charenton:
Opposite lies Charenton, at the right bank of the Marne and the Seine (iR9). See seperate page on the confluence of the Seine and the Marne.

Paris:
Many painters depicted the bridges and quays along the Seine in Paris. See seperate page.

Issy-les-Moulineaux:
Issy-les-Moulineaux (often just: Issy) lies about 3km south-west of Paris on the left / east bank of the Seine (iR9). Part of this municipality is the island Île Saint-Germain.

Boulogne-Billancourt:
Opposite Issy on the right / north bank of the Seine and just south of the Bois de Boulogne (iR9), the large park at the west side of Paris, lies Boulogne-Billancourt (often short Billancourt) (iR9). Part of this municipality is the island Île Seguin.

Meudon:
Meudon lies just west of Issy on the left / south bank of the Seine, opposite Boulogne-Billancourt (iR9).

Sèvres:
Sèvres lies about 6km south/west of Paris on the left / south bank of the Seine and just west of Meudon and opposite Boulogne-Billancourt (iR9).

Saint-Cloud:
North of Sèvres lies Saint-Cloud, on the left / west bank of the Seine, opposite Boulogne-Billancourt (iR9).

Suresnes:
Just north of Saint-Cloud lies Suresnes (iR9), on the left / west bank of the Seine, opposite the Bois de Boulogne (iR9).

Puteaux:
Just north of Suresnes lies Puteaux (iR9), on the left / west bank of the Seine, opposite Neuilly↓. In the Seine lies the island Île de Puteaux.

Courbevoie:
Courbevoie lies on the left / west bank of the Seine (iR9).

Neuilly-sur-Seine / Île de la Grande Jatte:
Opposite Courbevoie on the right / east bank of the Seine lies Neuilly-sur-Seine (short: Neuilly) (iR9). In the Seine lies the Île de la Grande Jatte where Seurat painted around 1885 and Monet in 1878. It also lies north of the Bois de Boulogne (iR9) and west of the 17th arrondissement of Paris (iR9).

Levallois-Perret:
Just north of Neuilly on the right / east bank of the Seine lies Levallois-Peret (iR9). It lies north-west of the 17th arrondissement of Paris (iR9).

Clichy:
Just north of Levallois-Perret lies Clichy on the right / east bank of the Seine (iR9). It lies north-west of the 17th arrondissement of Paris (iR9).

Asnières-sur-Seine:
Opposite Clichy lies Asnières-sur-Seine on the left / west bank of the Seine (iR9). See also Monet CR270.

Saint-Ouen:
Just north-east of Clichy lies Saint-Ouen (iR9), on the right / east bank of the Seine and north of the 18th arrondissement of Paris (iR9).

Gennevilliers:
Just north of Asnières↑ lies a small part of Gennevilliers (iR9) along the Seine on the left / west bank. But it mainly lies west of Asnières and south of Villeneuve-la-Garenne↓.

Villeneuve-la-Garenne:
North of Gennevilliers↑ in the bend of the Seine on the left / south bank lies Villeneuve-la-Garenne (iR9).

Saint-Denis:
Opposite Villeneuve-la-Garenne↑ lies Saint-Denis (iR9), on the right / east bank of the Seine, north-east of Saint-Ouen↑ and north of the 18th arrondissement of Paris (iR9).

Île Saint-Denis:
In the bend of the Seine, between Villeneuve-la-Garenne↑ and Saint-Denis↑, lies the island Île Saint-Denis (iR9).

Épinay-sur-Seine:
Opposite Villeneuve-la-Garenne↑ and west of Saint-Denis↑ lies Épinay-sur-Seine, on the right / north bank of the Seine (iR9).

Argenteuil:
South-west of Épinay lies Argenteuil on the right / west bank of the Seine (iR9). Monet did live here. See seperate page.

Petit-Gennevilliers:
Le Petit Gennevilliers lies opposite of Argenteuil on the left / east bank of the Seine. Now it’s part of Gennevilliers ↑. See seperate page.

Colombes:
South of (Petit-)Gennevilliers and opposite of Argenteuil on the left / east bank of the Seine lies Colombes (iR9). More to the west (not along the Seine) lies Bois-Colombes (iR9).

Bezons:
Opposite Colombes and south of Argenteuil lies Bezons, on the right / west bank of the Seine (iR9).

Carrières-sur-Seine:
South of Bezons lies Carrières-sur-Seine, on the right / west bank of the Seine (iR9). In the Seine lies the island Île Fleurie.

Nanterre:
Opposite Carrières and south of Colombes lies Nanterre, on the left / east bank of the Seine (iR9).

Rueil-Malmaison:
South of Nanterre lies Rueil-Malmaison, on the left / east bank of the Seine (iR9).

Chatou / Fournaise:
Chatou lies on the right / west bank of the Seine, south of Argenteuil, 15km west from Paris and opposite Rueil-Malmaison (iR9). Caillebotte, Degas, Monet and Sisley worked here (R3,p654). In the Seine lies an elongated island. The north part is called Île Fleurie (see Carrières↑) and the south part Île de Chatou. On this part lies the Restaurant Fournaise, owned by Père Fournaise, who was portrayed by Renoir in 1875 (R30,no182). His daughter, Alphonsine, was a model for Renoir in 1875 and 1879 (R3; R30,no183+373). Renoir painted here several times (R30,no452+468+471). Also Maupassant (a writer) and Caillebotte were regular visitors (R3,p662).

Croissy-sur-Seine:
South of Chatou lies Croissy-sur-Seine, in a bent of the Seine on the right (first west, than north) bank (iR9).

Bougival / La Grénouillère:
Bougival lies opposite of Croissy on the left / south bank of the Seine, about 15km west of Paris (iR9). In the Seine lies the Île de la Chaussée on which La Grénouillère was found, where Monet and Renoir did painting September 1869. In the Seine, to the west, also lies the island Île de la loge.

Louveciennes:
West of Bougival on the left / south bank of the Seine lies Louveciennes (iR9). In the Seine lies the island Île de la loge.
Pissarro did live in Louveciennes.

Marly:
(North-)West of Louveciennes lies Le Port-Marly (iR9), along the left / south bank of the Seine, about 18km west from Paris. In the Seine lies the island Île de la loge.
South of it lies Marly-le-Roi, where Sisley has lived.

Le Pecq:
North-west of Port-Marly and of Croissy on both sides of the Seine lies Le Pecq (iR9).

Le Mesnil-le-Roi:
North of Le Pecq, on the left / west bank of the Seine lies Le Mesnil-le-Roi (iR9).

Montesson:
Opposite Le Mesnil-le-Roi on the right / east bank of the Seine lies Montesson (iR9).

Sartrouville:
North of Montessonon on the right / east bank of the Seine lies Sartrouville (iR9).

Cormeilles-en-Paris:
North of Sartrouville on the right / east bank of the Seine lies Cormeilles-en-Paris (iR9); just a small part lies along the Seine.

Maisons-Laffitte:
Opposite Sartrouville and Cormeilles on the left / west bank of the Seine lies Maisons-Laffitte (iR9).

Achères:
North and west of Maisons-Laffitte in the bend of the Seine on the left bank lies Achères (iR9). This includes Fromainville.

La Frette-sur-Seine:
In the bend of the Seine on both banks lies La Frette-sur-Seine (but mainly the right bank) (iR9), just north(-east) of Fromainville (see Achères)↑.

Herblay:
West of La Frette-sur-Seine, (mainly) on the right / north(-east) bank of the Seine, lies Herblay (iR9). In the Seine lies the island Île de Herblay.

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine:
West of Herblay, on both sides of the Seine (but mainly the right bank), lies Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (iR9). It lies north of Achères↑. Just west of Conflans the Oise flows into the Seine.

Andrésy:
West of Conflans, on both sides of the Seine (but mainly the right bank), lies Andrésy (iR9). It lies west of Achères↑. In the Seine lies the island Île Peygrand.

Carrières-sous-Poissy:
South of Andrésy lies Carrières-sous-Poissy (iR9), on the right / west bank of the Seine.

Poissy:
Opposite Carrières-sous-Poissy lies Poissy (iR9), on the left / south-east bank of the Seine and south of Achères↑. In the Seine lies an elongated island; the east part is called Île du Grand Motteau and the west part Île de Migneaux.

Villennes-sur-Seines:
West of Poissy lies Villennes-sur-Seines (iR9), on the left / south-west bank of the Seine. In the Seine lies the island Île de Villennes.

Médan:
North of Villennes lies Médan (iR9), on the left / west bank of the Seine. It lies 32km west of Paris. Zola lived here.

 

Note: We now skip a large part of the Seine, where the impressionists and related artists (hardly) were not active. We will continue less detailed.

 

Vétheuil:
Vétheuil lies on the right / east bank of the Seine (iR9). It lies 59km west of Paris. Monet lived here from 1878-81 and would later in 1901 paint here again (R22,CR1635ff).

Lavacourt:
Lavacourt lies opposite of Vétheuil on the left / west bank of the Seine. Monet would often paint here.

La Roche Guyon:
La Roche Guyon is famous for it’s castle (iR9) and lies on the right / north bank of the Seine, 7km west of Vétheuil. In 1864 Pissarro visits Piette here. Monet painted the road to Roche Guyon from Vétheuil in 1880. Renoir and Cézanne painted here together in 1885 (R31,p312).

Bennecourt:
Bennecourt (iR9) lies on the right / north bank of the Seine, 6km south of La Roche Guyon. Monet lived here in 1868 (R22,p70) and painted here again in 1885/87/93 after he had moved to Giverny, which lies about 5km north of Bennecourt.

Limetz-Villez:
Limetz-Villez (iR9) lies north-west of Bennecourt on the right / east bank of the Seine. It lies in the Yvelines district.

Giverny:
Giverny (iR9) lies north of Limetz-Villez, about 75km west of Paris, on the right / north-east bank of the Seine. The river Epte flows here into the Seine. Monet came to live here in 1883 and received many other painters, also from other countries. See separat page.

Vernon:
West of Giverny on both sides of the Seine lies Vernon (iR9).

Les Andelys:
20km north of Vernon lies Les Andelys (iR9), on the right / east bank of the Seine.

Rouen:
Rouen (iR9) lies on both sites of the Seine about 130km west/north of Paris, about 37km north-west of Les Andelys. Several impressionists were active here, namely Monet, Pissarro.

Sahurs:
About 18km south of Rouen, on the right / north bank of the Seine, lies Sahurs (iR9).

La Bouille:
Opposite Sahurs, on the left / south bank of the Seine lies La Bouille (iR9)

The estuary of the Seine:
With Le Havre (iR9) on the right / north bank. And on the left / south bank: Honfleur (iR9), including the farm Saint-Siméon. See also along the Normandy coast.

 

Sources:
My main sources are Wildenstein (R22). For the locations I used Google maps (iR9). For background information on the places I mostly used WikiPedia (iR3).
See links for other general references (=R), internet sites (=iR) and musea (=M). For other additional references (=aR) see below. See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

Further readings:
x

Additional references (=aRx):

  1. www.van-gogh.fr (info on artists who painted along the Seine; =iR78)
  2. www.tourisme92.com (site about artists that painted at the île de Grande-Jatte)
  3. Île de Grande-Jatte (PDF map where the artists did paint)

 

Recommanded citation: Impressionism, locations where the ‘impressionists’ did paint: Along the Seine; from Ivry till Le Havre. Last modified 2025/03/03. https://www.impressionism.nl/along-the-seine/

 

Note: additional info and pictures will follow.