Lagoons of Abcoude
Ca. 1877. Oil on paper attached to cardboard.Not on display
White willows grow on the lagoon waters, alongside several aquatic plants. A barge loaded with mud is being conveyed with a poll used by a local man whose head is sticking out above the load. On the right, bushes and abundant river vegetation can be seen. In the background, riverside trees stand out against an overcast sky. As an aesthetic resource, already employed in many of his studies, the artist repeatedly uses the contrast between the fine, evident brushstrokes of the foreground and the monochrome, poorly worked patches that form the background of the composition.
Gutiérrez Márquez, Ana, Carlos de Haes en el Museo del Prado, 1826-1898: catálogo razonado, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2002, p.340
