The Pond at Montgeron 2 1876

Claude Monet created "The Pond at Montgeron 2," using oil on canvas to capture a scene from the French countryside. Monet was interested in how light transforms a landscape, documenting fleeting moments of the changing seasons. This interest was also a move away from traditional landscapes which idealized rural life, and towards an honest depiction of nature. Monet, along with other impressionist painters, were turning away from traditional social hierarchies which determined what was considered beautiful or important. Instead, Monet paints a seemingly ordinary pond as worthy of attention. Consider that Monet was living through a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization in France. How did industrialization impact gender roles and class structures? How did seeing paintings like this shape the way people thought about nature? It’s a reminder that beauty can be found in the everyday, and perhaps a subtle critique of the societal shifts of his time.