On the Banks of the Seine – Nel and Simon-Levy 1912

Rik Wouters made this pastel drawing, “On the Banks of the Seine – Nel and Simon-Levy”, in 1912. It captures a seemingly casual moment between two figures relaxing by the river. But, who are these people, and what does their presence by the Seine tell us about the cultural life of the time? The Seine wasn't just a river; it was a stage upon which Parisians enacted their social lives. Leisure activities, like those depicted here, became increasingly common as the city modernized. Consider the rise of the Impressionists, who also sought to capture these fleeting moments of modern life. To fully understand this artwork, we’d need to delve into the archives, examining photographs, guidebooks, and social commentaries from early 20th-century Paris to explore the cultural significance of the Seine as a space of leisure and social interaction. Only then can we truly appreciate the depth of what Wouters has captured.