View from the Thames: Retracing Monet’s London
Known for his waterlilies and beautiful creations inspired by Paris, here is a forgotten ode to a city Monet once loved…
By
Rhea Mathur
November 13, 2024
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
In 1904, Claude Monet presented thirty-seven of his View of the Thames paintings in Paris. Shown at his art dealer, Paul Durant-Ruel’s gallery, the paintings focused on capturing the industrial South Bank from his room’s balcony at The Savoy. For Monet, the focal point in his work was capturing what was between him and his motif. In this series, as he sits on the balcony of the 6th and then subsequently the 5th floor, he paints everything that lies between him and the developing city of London. Though his view was of Waterloo Bridge, the Parliament Building and London Bridge, what stands out in his work are the colours hidden within the moving clouds, the overwhelming fog, the thin rays of sunshine, buses in motion on bridges and the sparkle of the Thames. Monet’s ambition to present this series at a London gallery has finally been actualised 120 years later by The Courtauld Gallery in their exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames. Showing until 19th January 2025, this exhibition is Monet’s love letter to a vibrant and evolving London.
While working on this series in his room at the Savoy, Monet was known to go through several canvases, in an attempt to capture the play of light that he saw in front of him. In each painting, he tried to capture a certain atmosphere created by those colours and the positioning of the sun, clouds and fog. With every movement in the sky, a new emotion was reflected on his canvas. Painting straight onto the canvas with oil paints and without any drawings or photographs, Monet’s work captures how he truly saw the city.
“I can’t tell you what a fantastic day it was. What wonderful things, but none lasting more than five minutes, it is enough to drive one mad. No, there is no country more extraordinary for a painter.” - Letter from Claude Monet to his wife, Alice Monet, London, 3 February 1901
Through his work, Monet presented an almost idealistic view of the increasing industrialisation of cities in the early Twentieth Century. What led to the Great Smog of London in 1952 - a thick blanket of suffocating smoke and a symbol of the ramifications of an industrial Britain - in Monet’s work is synthesised into a conversation between the clouds, the sun and the city. Monet depicts the beginning of this smog as a symbol of hope and prosperity of a growing nation, constantly developing a better future for itself. Sitting on the the balcony of the Savoy in 1899 and 1901 when he created most of his works, Monet cultivated a sense of future prosperity hidden in the many colours of paints and the thick coatings on his canvas.
In Waterloo Bridge, Overcast (1903), the industrial backdrop of London is easier to spot, with smoke rising from factory chimneys. In the forefront, however, is the bridge on which red London buses can be seen speeding across. Behind the buses are plants and trees which lace Waterloo Bridge, giving the overall effect of a garland drawn along the Bridge rather than moving vehicles, allowing the buses to be mistaken for flowers - again giving us an insight into the optimistic and fascinating point of view that the artist brought to the city of London.
This exhibition, when curated by Monet in Paris, was largely successful and he managed to sell most of the works included in it. This is why, when he decided to have the same exhibition in London later, Monet found it impossible to bring the entire collection back together. He then decided to bring out the collection of unfinished canvases from his time in London and attempted to recreate a similar exhibition in 1905. After many delays, Monet ultimately reconciled with his inability to bring back this moment, lost at this point in time. It was here that he artistically moved on to his famous series of Waterlilies that captivated his attention. The current exhibition at the Courtauld has been curated by Dr Karen Serres, to match Monet’s vision and brings together paintings from all across the world, loaned from private collections and from galleries across the US and Europe, all to help recreate Monet’s long-lost dream.
While the exhibition initially appears like a series of similar paintings, each painting brings with it a different mood and atmosphere that Monet captured over a century ago. Monet’s paintings are a conversation with a past which was looking towards a hopeful and prosperous future.
Monet and London: Views of the Thames is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 19th January 2025.
