Top 25% of the work HCB has shown/exhibited/sold etc. 75% of his work must fit into the "not top 25%" category. So which other of his work is in the lower 75%? :-)
I'd call that an opinion, BD, not reality, and I suspect you would too if you read it again. By the way, if Bougival isn't in Henri's top 25%, how about giving us an example of one which, in your opinion, IS in the top 25%? That would let us make a comparison.
Even HCB had to have a bad day. Seriously, it's a nice photo, with nice compositional elements, and any of us would be proud to have shot it. But if this was his best, he would not be who he is. In fact, if this was in his top 25 %, he wouldn't be who he is.
I'm a little surprised to read this. While it's not my favorite HCB shot (too many to choose), I would certainly put it in the top 25%. Great composition, human interaction, wit, a fleeting moment frozen. What's not to like about it? I'm truly puzzled, BD.