Houses of Parliament in Winter 1903

Monet made this painting of the Houses of Parliament in 1903, and it’s all about atmosphere. Look how those soft strokes of pink, blue and orange evoke the winter light hitting the water. I can just imagine Monet standing there, trying to capture the fleeting moment as the light shifts and changes, the brushstrokes becoming his way of feeling. The paint is so thin and delicate, like he’s barely touching the canvas. He's trying to catch something elusive. He layers the strokes of color with the violet-blue of the buildings, creating a hazy, dreamlike effect. The architecture almost dissolves into the mist, like it’s not quite real. The painting reminds me of Turner, and how he painted the Thames. It makes me think about the conversation between painters across time and place. They inspire one another to see the world in new ways. Painting is an open-ended form of expression that embraces uncertainty.