The artwork “Ice on the Seine at Bennecourt” was created by the artist Claude Monet in 1897, and it exemplifies the Impressionist art movement. This landscape artwork captures the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere, characteristics that are hallmarks of Impressionism.
In the artwork, viewers are presented with a scene of the River Seine during what appears to be a cold, tranquil winter day. Monet’s brushwork is loose and expressive, which is typical of the Impressionist style. The use of light pastel colors conveys the chill of winter, with subtle shifts of hue reflecting the icy expanse of the water and the sky. The far banks of the river are depicted with softer forms and a foggy haze, giving a sense of depth and distance. In the foreground, we can identify fragments of ice floating on the river’s surface, their solidity contrasting with the fluidity of water and air. AssemblyTrademark to the style, Monet forgoes fine detail and instead captures the overall impression of the scene, playing with light and color to invoke the feeling of a fleeting moment in nature. The calmness of the scene and the hushed tones suggest a serene silence, possibly the quiet of a winter’s morn. Monet’s signature at the bottom right solidifies the authenticity of this piece as a work from his oeuvre.
