In addition to his large canvases, Rousseau completed and exhibited many small landscapes, including this scene of the river Seine. While retaining a sharp, detailed rendering of objects, Rousseau abandoned the flat tonality of his earlier works for more blended modeling and freer brushwork. The volumes of the clouds, trees, and houses occupy distinct areas in space, revealing the serenity of an organized world. A self-taught painter who, at the age of 41, quit his job in the Paris Municipal Toll Service to devote himself entirely to art, Rousseau was widely admired by avant-garde artists for his inventive subjects and intuitive sense of design.