“Claude Monet’s ‘Poplars on the Banks of the River Epte, Overcast Weather’ is a quintessential work from 1891 that is part of the Impressionist movement. The genre of the artwork is landscape, which is fitting given Monet’s preoccupation with the natural environment and its transient effects of light and color.”
The artwork captures a row of poplar trees standing tall along the Epte River. The scene is depicted with a range of brush strokes that vary from dabs to swirls, a technique characteristic of the Impressionist style. Monet’s use of color conveys the overcast weather, with muted greens and blues dominating the palette, interspersed with touches of white and darker tones that suggest the shadow and depth in the foliage and the water below. The trees are reflected in the river, though the reflection is broken by the texture of the water’s surface, which is rendered in short, horizontal brushstrokes. The sky appears heavy with clouds, further emphasizing the subtlety of the diffuse light. The poplars themselves are slender and stretch towards the top edge of the canvas, guiding the viewer’s eye upward and creating a sense of elongation that contrasts with the horizontal stretch of the river. This piece showcases Monet’s focus on the play of natural light and his dedication to capturing the fleeting moments of nature’s moods.
