It was in 1900, after meeting Derain, that Maurice de Vlaminck decided to become a full-time painter. Landscapes, particularly the Seine around Paris, were one of his favourite subjects. Here it is the village of Bougival and more particularly the restaurant "La Machine" which he has chosen as a motif.
To paint the Restaurant La Machine at Bougival, Vlaminck has moved off the path just after a bend in the road. Although he has chosen a compositional model dear to the Impressionists, he has framed it much more closely. The color and brushstrokes also contribute to a very individual kind of construction which has something of the work of Vincent van Gogh. He has used dynamic brushstrokes which structure the forms and the thick paint favoured by the Dutch master. The strokes change according to the effect he was trying for - rounded in the coloured areas in the foreground, longer in the tree and ductile in the buildings.
Houses at Chatou
Barge on the Seine near Le Pecq
The Seine at Chatou
Snowstorm