Boating on the Yerres

Boating on the Yerres, also known as Skiffs, captures three slender, kayak-like boats gliding across the surface of the Yerres River. The composition is arranged with striking geometric precision: the stream opens in a wedge shape from the upper right corner, and the lead boat cuts a bright arrowhead of reflected light into the deep shadow cast by a large overhanging tree. The effect is one of graceful, almost silent movement through dappled water.

Caillebotte painted this scene at his family's estate along the Yerres, south of Paris, where he produced a series of seven boating pictures between 1877 and 1878. These river scenes showcase his distinctive fusion of Impressionist light effects with a more structured, almost photographic sense of composition. The elevated vantage point and cropped framing lend the work a modern, snapshot-like quality that set Caillebotte apart from his Impressionist peers.