Henri le Sidaner

By 1900, the year this work was painted, figures were still present in most of Henri Le Sidaner’s work.  The artist was increasingly interested in depicting the atmosphere of a place, whether it be a garden, a city square or a deserted street.  Even though there are figures in the present painting, the viewer senses their isolation and their transience.  They are mere passer-bys, witnessing the flow of time.  While describing the disappearance of human figures in Le Sidaner’s work, Rémy Le Sidaner notes, “during his stay in Bruges, the number of these figures decreased and, within two or three years, they gradually disappeared” (Y. Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., p. 14).  As Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner notes, the artist’s sojourn in Belgium “was a turning-point for Henri Le Sidaner, who traveled to Bruges during the month of July and chose Impressionism as his future working technique” (Y. Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., p. 13).

Le Miroir was painted before the artist discovered Gerberoy and is an example of Le Sidaner’s fascination with water. Indeed, the artist enjoys painting the calmness of water, especially that of canals boarded by old houses.  The title of the work refers to the reflective quality of water, mirroring the houses boarding the canal and emphasizing their timelessness. As Catherine Lévy-Lambert explains, Le Sidaner was interested in depicting monuments of the past and small, poetic cities.  Cities inspired him and were a main component of his oeuvre between 1900 and 1939.  The pink, orange and yellow tones in this composition add a human dimension to the serenity of the scene.  As dusk settles, two groups of figures walk by.  Human warmth is symbolized by the bright orange hues radiating from the small windows.  The brushstrokes are subtle yet precise; Le Sidaner captures the fleeting beauty of the moment with his acute contemplative sensitivity.