The House among the Roses 1925

Claude Monet created this painting with oil on canvas, a common combination that served as the bedrock for most of Western painting for centuries. The artist’s approach to the medium is what makes this painting stand out, particularly his technique of applying thick layers of paint in short brushstrokes, building up a textured surface. This technique conveys the very essence of the garden’s lushness. Oil paint in the 19th century was an industrial product, manufactured in bulk and sold in tubes. This availability democratized art making, allowing artists like Monet to move freely, set up their easels outdoors, and rapidly capture their immediate impressions of the landscape. He could focus less on laborious preparation of materials, and more on developing the fleeting sensation of a scene. Looking closely, you can almost feel the artist’s hand, his decisive gestures as he worked to freeze a moment in time. By focusing on the materiality of paint and the act of painting itself, Monet’s work helped to redefine the very essence of fine art.