View of Paris with the River Seine

Jaan Grünberg lived in Paris for several years, and he undoubtedly knew the city. In his numerous monotypes he often depicted Paris, which is why it is perhaps unexpected that in this case Grünberg has not chosen some backstreet view but a very widely exploited motif: the church of Notre-Dame and the Seine. On the other hand, one should not pay too much attention to the theme of the painting, because Grünberg was mainly interested in colour and the storyline was incidental. View of Paris with the River Seine could therefore be regarded as an abstract work at the heart of which is not the juxtaposition of different shades of colour but rather the discovery of patterns, rhythms and brushstroke ornaments in a sparse and cold overall tonality.