Willows at Sunset 1889

Claude Monet, a key figure in the Impressionist movement, captured “Willows at Sunset" with oil on canvas. Monet and his contemporaries were radical because they chose to depict modern life and the sensations of light and color, rather than historical or mythological scenes, and did so with loose brushstrokes. During this time, the rigid social structures of 19th-century France were being challenged by new ideas about individual freedom and expression, as well as a growing middle class. Monet's landscapes reflect a shift toward valuing personal experience and the beauty of the natural world. As Monet once said, "I wish I had been born blind and then suddenly gained my sight, so that I could have begun to paint without knowing what the objects were that I saw before me." Monet invites us to see the world anew, not as it is, but as it feels. With its warm colors, this painting evokes a feeling of peace.