San Giorgio Maggiore 2 1908

Claude Monet painted this impression of San Giorgio Maggiore with oil on canvas, and it's all about how light can dissolve form. He wasn't trying to nail every detail, but instead, capture the fleeting feeling of a place, which, as a painter, I totally get. Look at how Monet used tiny brushstrokes, dabs, and dashes of color. The paint isn't trying to hide itself, it's right there, like the surface of the water, flickering and alive! The colors are so muted, like he mixed all his paints together, then added a dash more white, the whole scene shimmers with warmth, that even the shadows have hints of pink and gold, which reminds me of Turner, who also used light in the same, romantic way. I love how Monet invites us to just drift in this moment. To see how light can change everything, and how painting can freeze that change for just a little while.