Form and Content in Van Gogh

This Vincent Van Gogh painting is entitled Along the Seine and is located in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.  It is an oil painting on canvas that Van Gogh made in 1887.  This is a representational painting that leans more towards the naturalistic end of the spectrum.  It is clear to see what this is a painting of, but it is created with less realistic forms and color combinations than realistic pieces.  It has a very "open" feeling to it because there is only one main figure that is overshadowed by the scenery.  The large amounts of open space in the ground and sky draws the viewers attention to the open space rather then the small, central figure.  The lines in this piece are not very distinct which makes the piece easier to view because the different figures seem to blend into each other rather then being crisp and clean-cut.  On the surface, this is simply a painting of a figure walking along a body of water.  Because of the way the piece flows together, it suggests that the figure is walking in peaceful reflection about something that may have happened; just being thankful to be walking along and enjoying the day.  It shows that even among all the stress that daily lives create, there is always time to get away and reflect.