The Gorge at Varengeville, Late Afternoon 1897

Editor: So here we have Claude Monet's "The Gorge at Varengeville, Late Afternoon," painted in 1897 using oil. It definitely strikes me as being incredibly vibrant, even a bit chaotic with all the colors and textures. What do you make of this particular Monet? Curator: Well, first off, "chaotic" isn't a bad read. Monet's late style is always a beautiful dance between order and a sensory explosion. The color choices here, the violets pushing against the yellows and greens, are so intensely felt, almost synesthetic. It is as if I could taste the salty air! Do you get the sense of movement, even though it's a static image? Editor: I do see the movement now that you mention it. The way the brushstrokes swirl does give it a sense of energy. What's with the little house in the background? It looks so tiny and inconsequential compared to the landscape. Curator: Ah, the house! To me, it is an accent point. Like a musical rest, it sets off the grand orchestra that is the land. Remember Monet was not just recording a scene, but he was transmuting his experience of a scene – the air, light, sounds even! It feels like the world is vibrating just behind your eyeballs, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. I never really thought about it that way before, like the house isn’t the main event, but just a little blip of reality within a bigger feeling. Curator: Precisely! He's less concerned with depicting every little detail of that cottage, and much more interested in the overwhelming sensation of being present in that exact moment. He almost wants you to drown in it! The older I get, the more I agree with him. Editor: I’ll definitely carry that perspective with me now when looking at Impressionist art. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Let’s go look at something else equally perplexing, shall we?