France / 1899
Blessing of a Yacht on the Belon River
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Blessing of a Yacht on the Belon River as painting (France · 1899).
Denis was an extremely prolific artist who experimented with other art forms. His decorative murals can be viewed in many French churches as well as on the ceiling of the Champs Élysées Theatre in Paris.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Maurice Denis (French, 1870–1943).
The museum's collection notes: Maurice Denis made this painting during the summer of 1899 while vacationing with his family in the coastal village of Le Pouldu in Brittany in northwestern France. Two-thirds of this canvas is filled by the lavender-pink surface of the water, dotted with touches of color that suggest reflections of flags and sails on the Belon River. Local women wearing traditional headdresses observe the scene from the riverbank in the foreground, shaded by trees whose foliage frames the top of the composition.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBlessing of a Yacht on the Belon RiverOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.