Regatta at Argenteuil - Monet c. 1872


This is a painting Claude Monet painted while living at Argenteuil which is a village on the River Seine near Paris. He was a believer in painting in the fresh air and shortly after this painting, he did get a floating platform so he could actually paint while on the river. He painted what he saw in front of him. He painted the same or similar subject many times as he wanted to capture changing light and seasons. The colours and the title of the above painting would suggest he painted it in summer. He didn't copy from other painters like his predecessors may have done, although he would sometimes paint alongside friends and as a result, their paintings may look similar.
This painting is of sailing boats. The perpetual movement of sailing boats attracted Monet. He showed the sails being reflected in the water with big strokes of his brush and he, in general, made marks by dabbing and dashing. His palatte is fairly limited in this painting, with the orange serving as a strong complementary colour.
I like his bold marks and the orange, green and blue colours. The subject of water and sky, boats and houses is very easy on the eye. 

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