Fog on the Seine (The Andelys) 1902

Maxime Maufra’s painting, Fog on the Seine, was completed in 1902 using oil on canvas. The canvas renders a misty landscape with muted colours and soft brushstrokes, which gives a hazy atmospheric quality. The composition is structured horizontally by the river Seine, reflecting the trees and sky, thus doubling the visual elements and creating a sense of symmetry. The verticality of the trees punctuates this horizontal expanse, creating rhythm and balance. Maufra’s brushstrokes do not define the forms with precision, but rather, dissolve them into the surrounding fog. This technique destabilizes the clear boundaries between objects, suggesting a world in flux, and a semiotic interpretation that blurs the distinctions between reality and perception. The overall effect evokes a sense of quiet contemplation. Through the interplay of line, color, and form, Maufra creates an aesthetic experience of fleeting moments. This invites us to reflect on the transient nature of beauty.