Snow Effect at Falaise 1886

Claude Monet captured this winter scene at Falaise using oil on canvas with the impressionistic style that he was so integral in developing. Monet and his contemporaries were interested in the ways light and atmosphere changed the appearance of the landscape. This painting really captures something about the subjective experience of winter. Instead of presenting a realistic depiction of a snowy day, Monet paints the emotional response, the chill in the air, the muted sounds. The artist captures the way that a landscape, typically alive with color and movement, can be hushed and still under a blanket of snow. Consider the broader context of the late 19th century. This was a time of rapid industrialization, but also a growing interest in outdoor leisure, as well as a romanticized view of nature. Monet’s choice to focus on the fleeting, personal experience of a landscape resonates with a desire to preserve a connection to the natural world. It presents a quiet, personal moment of beauty in a rapidly changing world.