Restored Monet Masterpiece Reveals True Colors at Musée Marmottan Monet

A long-overlooked Claude Monet painting, 'Charing Cross Bridge, fumées dans le brouillard, impression' (1902), has been restored and is now on display at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris until August 31, 2026. The canvas, part of Monet's series of views of the Thames in London, had been rendered illegible by a thick synthetic varnish applied in the 1970s, which obscured the artist's vibrant palette and delicate brushwork. The restoration, carried out by state-accredited restorer Caroll Fierles, involved removing the varnish and overpaints, revealing the painting's original luminosity and transparency. The work was previously loaned to the Courtauld Gallery in London in 2024, where curators noticed its dissonance with other Monet Thames views. The restoration was prompted by the upcoming centenary of Monet's death in 2026, and the painting will be included in the exhibition 'Monet, peindre le temps' at the Orangerie in Paris (September 30–January 25) and at Tate Modern in London (February 25–June 27). The museum is also presenting a dossier exhibition about the restoration and a video on social media. The painting, which was part of the 1904 Durand-Ruel exhibition, remained unsold and later entered the museum through the legacy of Michel Monet in 1966. The restoration process included UV examination, infrared spectrometry, and careful solvent application, and no final varnish was applied, respecting Monet's original intention.