Fishing in Spring, the Pont de Clichy (Asnières)

In spring 1887 Van Gogh painted the Seine beside the Pont de Clichy at Asnières, north of Paris. He worked in this suburb with Paul Signac. Encounters with new painters were changing his use of colour. The museum links this picture with Signac and Georges Seurat. The river view shows how separate coloured strokes can combine into an illuminated space.

The bridge crosses the distance in a broad arc, its bluish structure visible through trunks and branches. These overlaps establish the separation between the near bank and the opposite shore. Its large form does not suppress the small brushmarks: it is made from them. The engineered structure receives the same painterly treatment as water and new foliage, bringing nature and suburban infrastructure together.

A fisherman in light clothing and a dark hat sits in a boat. His bent figure occupies little space but gives a human scale to the river. A few concentrated colour patches distinguish head, back and legs. Van Gogh makes the person recognizable without a detailed portrait. The long edge of the boat also separates its form from the water.

The empty foreground boat is painted in green and blue bands. Its dark side contrasts with the lighter interior. Beyond it, short horizontal touches break up the water. The museum explains Van Gogh’s interest in separate strokes of pure colour, connected with theories of colour perception. At a distance the touches combine visually while remaining distinct brushmarks when enlarged.

The large trunks on the left have uneven edges and light patches where branches were cut. Brushstrokes follow the wood, changing direction near the base. Nearby water is handled differently, mainly horizontally. A related palette describes different materials through brush movement. The trunks also restrict the view, placing us on a bank looking between trees towards the river.

On the right, slender branches and separate leaves overlap boats and water. Yellow and green touches stand out against the cool blue background. Their brightness depends on the neighbouring colours. The foliage does not form a solid screen: gaps reveal several spatial layers at once. We can therefore follow both the represented depth and the brushmarks across the surface.

Van Gogh spent roughly two years in Paris, but that period substantially changed his painting. This river scene demonstrates a particular part of the transformation: a lighter palette and short, separated strokes. He absorbed colleagues’ techniques through his own subjects and rhythms. Comparing later paintings from Arles with this suburban work reveals how learning a new method supported further independent decisions.