Street under the snow, Argenteuil
- Original dimensions
- 91.4 x 71.1 cm
- Museum
- National Gallery
- Year
- 1875
Scene depicted
In this painting, Monet transports us to the heart of a quiet, delicately snow-covered street. The visible houses, etymologically linked to their bourgeois roots, are almost erased by the immaculate white color that envelops them. The shadows of the trees, darkened by the veil of snow, and the brightness of the lights oppose each other in a dance of colors, creating a unique visual harmony. Each brushstroke reveals not only a setting but also a vibrant atmosphere imbued with calm and serenity.
Historical context
Year: 1875 |BRK| Museum: National Gallery |BRK| Dimensions: 91.4 x 71.1 cm
Place in the artist's career
“Street in the Snow, Argenteuil ” is situated at a turning point in Monet's career. It is at this time that the artist fully develops his mastery of color and light. Alongside “ Impression, Sunrise ” and “ Woman with a Parasol ”, this painting marks his evolution towards abstraction and sensation, thus laying the foundations for a career that will elevate him among the masters of Impressionist painting.
Anecdote
“I have always loved the magic of a landscape covered in snow,” Monet might have declared while contemplating a winter morning in Argenteuil . The inspiration arose from a shiver, a silence frozen in time, where each snowflake sang a sweet melody. It is this pure emotion that the painting “Street in the Snow, Argenteuil ” manages to express with such intensity.