The Banks of the Seine 1878

Claude Monet painted "The Banks of the Seine" with oil on canvas, presenting a scene where the natural and the built environments coalesce. The composition is structured by a strong horizontal division between the earth and the sky, bisected vertically by the solid form of a large tree. Notice how Monet uses short, broken brushstrokes to capture the fleeting effects of light on the buildings and the water. This technique, characteristic of Impressionism, serves not just to depict the scene but to explore the very act of perception. The colours are muted, predominantly greys and greens, creating a sense of atmospheric depth and tranquility. This captures the transient qualities of light and atmosphere, challenging the traditional academic painting’s emphasis on clarity and form. Monet's focus on the ephemeral, and the subjective experience of seeing, aligns with broader philosophical shifts towards phenomenology, which emphasizes experience as the primary source of knowledge. This art destabilizes established modes of representation. It invites us to consider how our perceptions shape our understanding of the world.