Canal in Autumn (Gisors)
This painting depicts a canal in Gisors, a commune in Normandy, about 40 miles northwest of Paris on the river Epte. Le Sidaner painted this work in a Divisionist technique of applying pure color in large, broken strokes, often separated by areas of white or gray. Unlike the Impressionists, Le Sidaner preferred a restrained palette of delicately nuanced tones that evoke a mood of quiet mystery. His views of old canals, typically portrayed in a crepuscular or nocturnal light, and completely absent of figures, allude to the passage of time and a timeless eternity that exceeds the human life span.
Colors in this work
Details
- Date
- 1913
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- unframed: height 0.533 m, width 0.635 m
- Origin
- France, early 20th century
- Department
- Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Vignos Jr.
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Landscapes and Waterscapes Both · 99%
The image clearly shows a canal or waterway bordered by trees and vegetation, and the museum identifies the scene as a canal in Gisors, Normandy.
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Water Visual · 98%
A broad water channel occupies the central and lower portions of the composition, carrying reflected light and color.
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Atmospheric Landscapes Both · 93%
The softened contours, atmospheric light, and hazy treatment of foliage and water are visible in the image, while the catalog describes Le Sidaner’s restrained, delicately nuanced landscape tones and quiet mystery.
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Vacant and Vacated Spaces Both · 90%
No human figures are visible, and the catalog specifically characterizes Le Sidaner’s canal views as completely absent of figures.
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Time Metadata · 86%
The museum description explicitly connects the figureless canal scenes to the passage of time and a timeless eternity beyond the human life span.
Visual Qualities
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Dotted Both · 94%
The surface is built from many small, broken touches of color rather than continuous flat passages; this corresponds to the catalog’s description of Le Sidaner’s Divisionist use of large, broken strokes.
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Earth Tones Visual · 98%
Muted ochers, golds, russets, browns, olives, and gray-greens dominate the composition.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil Painting Both · 100%
The museum catalogs the work as oil on canvas, and the image visibly presents a painted surface.
Time Periods
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1900 - 1917 Art Metadata · 100%
The work is dated 1913, placing it within the 1900–1917 period.
Geographic Regions
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French Art Metadata · 99%
The artist is identified as French and the work’s place of origin is listed as France.
Source & rights
Henri Le Sidaner (French, 1862–1939). Canal in Autumn (Gisors). Cleveland Museum of Art.
High-resolution sources
- Original TIFF ↗ 6,556 × 5,436 · Cleveland Museum Of Art · Available