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Manet painted this study out of doors, 'en plein air', at the resort of Argenteuil, down the Seine from Paris. In overcast weather, three sailing boats lie moored together, their masts reflected in the grey water. In the background two long houseboats, one white and the other black, are anchored at the river's edge next to a row of trees, beyond which a big chimney belches forth smoke. This painting is a study for a composition set in sunny weather, widened to include the river bank with figures of a woman and a child in the bottom left foreground. Margaret Davies purchased this work at Paris in 1920.

Work was part of the AFA tour (2009-2010): From Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales