Vétheuil in Summer. Artist: Claude Monet (French, Paris 1840-1926 Giverny). Dimensions: 23 5/8 x 39 1/4 in. (60 x 99.7 cm). Date: 1880.
In this view of Vétheuil, seen from the opposite bank of the Seine, the flicker of individual brushstrokes reflects Monet's concern with recording sensations of color and light as accurately as possible. Ironically, this practice resulted in paintings of an increasingly abstract nature. Indeed, the imagery nearly dissolves in the myriad touches of paint.