Shop art print and framed art Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet

Claude Monet'sImpression soleil levant: a masterpiece that revolutionised art

The Impression soleil levant is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic paintings in the history of art.This masterful work by Claude Monet, painted in 1872, marks not only the beginning of the Impressionist movement but also a real break with the artistic tradition of the time.

History and origin of a legendary work

The story of this masterpiece takes root at the end of the 19th century.With the Franco-Prussian War just over, France was entering a new cultural and economic era. The artists of the day were looking for new forms of artistic expression to express their vision of the world. It was in this context that Claude Monet began work on his painting Impression soleil levant.

Realisation and presentation to the public

Monet produced this work in November 1872, when he was staying with his family in Le Havre, where he took advantage of the beauty of the coastal landscapes to paint. He chose to depict a sunrise over the port, a subject that was already very popular among painters of the time.To paint it, he chose to paint outdoors: an avant-garde posture at a time when artists were producing in studios. In this way, painting outdoors allowed Monet to capture the variations in light on the motif and retranscribe them optically onto the canvas.

The painting was presented for the first time at the first Impressionist exhibition held in Paris in 1874.The public was intrigued at the time by this highly innovative representation.However, discourse quickly became highly critical of the break that Monet's style represented from the classical artistic tradition. It was during this exhibition that art critic Louis Leroy ironically coined the term "Impressionism", alluding to the title Impression soleil levant. The term would later be used to designate a major artistic movement in the history of painting.

Path of a prestigious work

After being exhibited on several occasions, the work was entrusted to the artist Gustave Caillebotte, heir to the collections of Impressionist works. The canvas was then sold several times before finally joining the collections of the musée Marmottan in Paris in 1966, where it is still exhibited today.

Visual description of the work

The Impression soleil levant is an oil on canvas measuring 48 x 63 cm. It depicts a view of the port of Le Havre. In the centre of the composition are anchored sailing boats, surrounded by other smaller, lighter craft. Industrial structures can also be seen in the background, testifying to Le Havre's port and commercial activity. Finally, the centrepiece of the painting is of course the rising sun, emerging from the horizon and bathing its reflection in the calm waters of the port. From then on, the optical and chromatic interactions between water and light were the Impressionist movement's favourite subjects.

A revolutionary style

To produce this painting, Claude Monet used an avant-garde style characterised by a rapid and spontaneous gesture, with short brushstrokes superimposed on each other. The colours are bright and contrasting, with a dominance of blues and oranges to highlight the brightness of the sun through the morning mist.

The painting as a whole thus presents a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, perfectly illustrating the ephemeral and changeable nature of seascapes and nature. It is this ability to capture the variations of light on the motif that makes Impressionism such an innovative and important artistic movement in the evolution of art history.

Role of the work in Claude Monet's career

Although the painting is now considered an iconic masterpiece, this was not always the case for Claude Monet and Impressionism. Indeed, the Impression soleil levant was fiercely criticised from its very first exhibition, not least because of its apparent unfinished effect and its break with traditional artistic codes.

Progressive recognition

Nevertheless, the work marks a decisive turning point in the career of Claude Monet and for the other Impressionist artists. Gradually, the public and critics came to accept and appreciate this innovative vision of art, not least thanks to the multiple exhibitions organised by the group of Impressionist painters during the 1870s and 1880s.

Thanks to its aesthetic qualities and its major historical role, the Impression soleil levant is today recognised as a true artistic icon that paved the way for numerous avant-garde movements and revolutionised the way we conceive and appreciate art. These include post-impressionism, fauvism and expressionism.

Influence on Monet's later work

The experience gained from making the Impression soleil levant would also play a key role in Claude Monet's artistic development, leading him to further explore variations in light in thematic series such as the Meules, the Cathédrales de Rouen or the Nymphéas. Each of these works bears witness to this incessant need to capture the present moment.

This artwork is a painting from the modern period. It belongs to the impressionism style.

« Impression, Sunrise » is kept at Musee Marmottan Monet, Paris, France.

Find the full description of Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet on Wikipedia.