Hôtel des roches noires. Trouville 1870

Claude Monet created this evocative painting, titled ‘Hôtel des roches noires. Trouville’, with oil on canvas. The scene is dominated by an atmospheric sky and the grand hotel, with flags fluttering above. Monet masterfully uses rapid, broken brushstrokes to capture the transient effects of light and weather, giving the painting a sense of immediacy. The composition is structured by a contrast between the solid architecture of the hotel and the ephemeral nature of the sky and flags. The flags add a semiotic layer, representing nations and the interactions between them within the context of leisure and tourism. The painting prompts us to consider how Monet destabilizes traditional landscape painting by focusing on modern life. The visible brushwork and emphasis on light function not merely as aesthetic choices, but as elements that engage with broader philosophical questions about perception and representation.