The artwork “Flood of the Seine at Vetheuil” by Claude Monet was created in 1881 and belongs to the Impressionism movement. It is a landscape genre painting that captures a scene from a flood event. Claude Monet, the artist, was a pivotal figure in the Impressionism movement, known for his dedication to capturing light and natural forms.
The painting depicts the swollen Seine River at Vetheuil, a small village northwest of Paris where Monet lived from 1878 to 1881. The composition is characterized by a vivid portrayal of the water with diverse, reflective brushstrokes that suggest the movement of the flooded river. A dynamic sky, painted with different shades of blue and white, conveys the shifting weather, possibly after or during the rainfall that has caused the flood. The vertical forms of the poplar trees on the left frame the village seen in the background, creating depth and drawing attention to the interplay of natural forces with the inhabited landscape. The play of light and shadow, coupled with the textured application of paint, allows the viewer to feel the immediacy of the scene, a hallmark of Monet’s impressionistic style.
