A forerunner to the Impressionists, Daubigny was intrigued by the momentary effects of light in nature. He particularly enjoyed painting reflections on water and had a riverboat named Le Botin which he converted into a floating studio. This work was probably a study for a larger painting of the same subject exhibited at the Salon, Paris, in 1852. It depicts a view from the centre of the River Oise looking towards the sunset and illustrates Daubigny's desire to capture the changing light upon the river. The sky and the water take up most of the composition so that light fills the picture. The thin paint and loose brushwork demonstrates the artist's haste as he tried to capture the different colours before the sun disappeared below the horizon.
Purchased with assistance from the V&A/MLA Purchase Grant Fund and The Friends of The Bowes Museum.