Claude Monet’s “Rouen Cathedral, the Portal and the Tower d’Alban on the Sun,” completed in 1894, is a notable work from the Impressionist movement, specifically belonging to the cityscape genre and part of the Rouen Cathedral series. This series is renowned for its exploration of the effects of light and atmosphere on the appearance of the cathedral at different times of the day and year.
The artwork captures the grandeur and intricacy of the Rouen Cathedral’s façade with a particular emphasis on the interplay of light. The painting is characterized by short, thick strokes of paint that capture the essence of the subject rather than its details. The color palette consists of an array of earthy tones, yellows, and blues that come together to depict the sunlight reflecting off the cathedral’s surface. Monet’s focus on light and shadow allows the architecture’s form to emerge through the contrasts and textures, rather than through precise delineations. The varying intensities of color and light suggest the transient nature of the scene, a foundational aspect of Impressionist works where the perception of the moment takes precedence over the permanence of the subjects. Monet’s innovative technique and his series of the Rouen Cathedral paintings contributed greatly to the broader Impressionism movement, of which he was a leading figure.
