Monet became fully involved in Impressionism. His favourite themes were landscapes, especially gardens, with magnificent water-lilies in pools. Light and colour are fundamental features of his work. So much so that he painted Rouen cathedral around forty times, at different times of day, so as to study the light at each moment. It is to him that we owe the name of the style, Impressionism, as he entitled one of his works “Soleil Levant, Impression” or “Rising Sun, Impression”. Initially, other painters were rather disdainful of the movement, but they gradually accepted it and gave the name to exhibitions that were organized in Paris outside the official Salons where, in order to show paintings, they had to be judged by a panel of professors from the French Academy of Fine Arts, whose tastes were academic. It was an alternative way for them to become well-known and be able to sell their pictures.

In this Winter landscape of the river Seine, the trees make up a background at the foot of a blue-toned hill. They are reflected in the water, on which the ice is starting to thaw. Like most of Monet’s pictures, there is no drawing involved, just spots of colour and a cold wintry light that makes you feel rather melancholy.


(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Catalina Serrano Romero

Picture
Source: Wikipaintings.org
Author: Wikipaintings.org
Permission: This artwork is in the public domain: The author of this artwork died more than 70 years ago. According to E.U. Copyright Law, copyright expires 70 years after the author's death. In other countries, legislation may differ.