Impressionism, locations
where the ‘impressionists’ did paint:
La Grenouillère
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La Grénouillère:
La Grenouillère was a popular bathing place. It was on the Île-de-Croissy (now: Île de la Chaussée; iR9) in the Seine, west from Paris, between Bougival and Chatou*. On the right there was a floating open air café, in the middle a small island called the ‘camembert’ or ’the flowerpot’. Both to be reached across scaffold planks. On the left their were bathing huts.
In september 1869 Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir painted here together. And probably Renoir did so before in 1868 (1F29) and undated with his model Lise Trehot (1F35+46+47), but not in 1873 (1F95)**. 1F29 has more brownish and greyish shades and the brushstroke seems different than in 1F33+34. In the Milwaukee painting (1F95) Renoir a smoother brushstroke. He also used brighter colours and purple shades for the shadow of the trees, which indicate a later dating.
Note*: it’s hard to relocate it now (R22I,p78); one source indicates it’s now on dry land, indicated by a panel.
Note**: Raeburn dates all pictures at 1869 (R31,no13); but it’s clear that the painting styles of these pictures are different, this pleads for a variation in dating. The 1F95 picture is identified by Pickvance as having been painted from the Île Gautier (R460,no17; iR9).
Monet and Renoir painting side by side?
Around september 1869 Claude Monet dwelled in Saint-Michel near Bougival and Auguste Renoir with his parents in Voisins-Louveciennes. Renoir wrote “I am staying with my parents, but I am almost always with Monet, where, by the way, things are miserable. They don’t even have food every day. Still, I’m happy, because as far as painting goes, Monet is good company.” (R22I,p78;R460,p94) Wildenstein claims they painted ‘side by side’ at La Grenouillère (R22I,p78). But, when we look more closely, we see clear differences. In the pictures of Renoir, most of all in the Wintherthur picture (1F34), we discern a yellowish glow from the rising sun. The paintings of Monet seem to made made at a later point in the day. We clearly can see the differences in amounts of boats, which suggests other moments. In the Stockholm picture of Renoir (1F33) we see a plaque on the floating café, which is absent with Monet (CR134). It is either that they used a large amount of artistic freedom adjusting the site they saw to their taste, or they made sketches together and they worked them out in their own studios, which would mean they didn’t really painted en-plein-air.
When we compare the pictures, than Renoir did put more emphasis on the figures (and their clothing) and applied less depth. Monet used somewhat broader strokes in the process, Renoir brighter colours. Renoir lies more emphasis on the sky and the reflection on the water (in 1F34), Monet lies more emphasis on the boats (CR135). Still in CR134 Monet lies more emphasis on the reflection on the water and 1F33 of Renoir is more chaotic.
The birth of Impressionism?
The paintings the Monet and Renoir made at La Grenouillère are called by some ’the birth of Impressionism’ (R3,p92; R32,p19). Maybe Renoir did refer to their painting in La Grenouillère when he wrote: ‘One morning one of us ran out of black, and than Impressionism was born’ (R32,p19). Rewald writes “At La Grenouillère the two friends used rapid strokes, dots, and commas to capture the glistening atmosphere, the movement of the water, and the attitudes of the bathers.” (R1,p230). It’s the first time that Monet’s brushstroke achieved this special vibration. Wildenstein writes “These are achievements, that directly lead to Impressionism.” (R22,p79). The brushstroke Monet and Renoir used is also called a juxta-posed brushstroke and is a main characteristic of the Impressionist painting style. But, when we look closely to the works of Jongkind, we see that he already used these juxta-posed brushstrokes in 1857, so 12 years earlier as Monet and Renoir.
Monet wrote 1869/09/25 that he had finished a few poor sketches and that Renoir had spent two months here (R31,p191;R1,p228;R460,p94). Monet painted probably a large version that was rejected by the Salon (see), bought by Durand-Ruel in 1873 for 2.000 francs, probably exhibited at the 2nd ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1876 (as no.164) and destroyed during World War II (R22,CR136).
Sources: R1,p227-232; R3,p90-92; R5,p55; R22I,p78+79; R30; R31,no12+13; R98,p22-95; R460,p94-99; iR3; iR5.
A popular bathing place:
La Grenouillère was a popular bathing place and had been visited by the Imperial family 1869/07/26. Paintings of La Grenouillère had been exhibited at the Salon in 1869 and 1870. (R460,p99,note12)
Sources:
My main sources is the Catalogue Raisonné of Wildenstein on Monet (1996=R22), the catalogues on Renoir of Fezzi (1972=R193=R30), Ehrlich White (1984=R430,p33+34), Fezzi (1985=R190), Raeburn (1985=R31,no12+13), Monneret (1989=R525,p38-41) and on his landscapes (2007=R460,p94-99).
See links for other general references (=R), for references to internet sites (=iR), for references to 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:
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Additional references (=aRx):
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Recommanded citation: “Impressionism, locations where the ‘impressionists’ did paint: La Grenouillère. Last modified 2026/06/20. https://www.impressionism.nl/la-grenouillere/”
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