Claude Monet's 'Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt, Winter Effect' Analyzed
Claude Monet's 1880 painting 'Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt, Winter Effect' is a large-format landscape (100 x 150 cm) held at the Petit Palais in Paris. The work depicts the Seine River near Lavacourt, with fishing boats, islands, and the village of Vétheuil in the background. Monet painted over 20 canvases of the Lavacourt area in early 1880 following the death of his wife Camille in 1879. The bitter winter of 1879–1880 in Île-de-France influenced the painting's cold, melancholic atmosphere. The composition echoes his earlier 'Impression, Sunrise' (1872). The painting may have been submitted to the Paris Salon of 1880, though this is debated. Monet kept the work for years before it was acquired by a collector; it is now on free display at the Petit Palais.
Key facts
- Claude Monet painted 'Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt, Winter Effect' in 1880.
- The painting measures 100 cm by 150 cm (3.28 ft × 4.92 ft).
- It is housed at the Petit Palais in Paris, France.
- Monet created over 20 canvases of the Lavacourt landscape in early 1880.
- His wife Camille Monet died in 1879, influencing the painting's mood.
- The winter of 1879–1880 was extremely cold in Île-de-France.
- The composition features a central orange sun, similar to 'Impression, Sunrise' (1872).
- The painting may have been submitted to the Paris Salon of 1880.
Entities
Artists
- Claude Monet
- Camille Monet
Institutions
- Petit Palais
- Musée d'Orsay
- Musée Marmottan Monet
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Giverny
- Lavacourt
- Vétheuil
- Île-de-France