The artwork “Railway Bridge at Argenteuil” by Claude Monet was painted in 1874. This impressionist oil on canvas painting measures 23 x 14 cm and is a landscape genre. It is part of the collection at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, France.
The painting depicts a scene of a railway bridge in Argenteuil, with a focus on how light and color interact with the environment. Monet’s brushwork is loose and expressive, characteristic of the Impressionist movement, which sought to capture moments in time with an emphasis on the changing qualities of light. The bridge spans across the composition, with its reflection shimmering in the water below. The foliage around the bridge is rendered in bold, impasto strokes, suggesting the lushness of vegetation without depicting it in fine detail. Monet’s use of color is vibrant yet harmonious, with patches of blue and white hinting at the sky’s reflection on the river’s surface. Despite the small size of the canvas, Monet manages to create a sense of depth and space, inviting viewers to experience the tranquility and beauty of this riverside landscape.
