Port de Grenelle

Paul Gauguin rendered this view of the Seine near the Grenelle district in Paris in 1875, during his early years as a painter. The work captures an industrious scene along the riverbank with rapid, visible brushstrokes that align with the Impressionist movement. It measures 30 x 44 cm in oil on wood, signed and dated "p. Gauguin 75."

Before becoming famous for his Post-Impressionist paintings of Tahiti, Gauguin began as a Sunday painter while working as a stockbroker. These early Paris landscapes show him absorbing Impressionist techniques, particularly the interest in capturing transient light effects. He painted several views of the Seine's industrial ports during this period, including Port de Javel.

This painting remains in a private collection. A related work, "The Seine near Port de Grenelle," is at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne. For those interested in Gauguin's development before his radical experiments, these early works provide essential context.