Church at Vernon

In 1894 Monet returned to a subject he had depicted ten years earlier: the church of Notre-Dame looming over the townscape of Vernon in northern France. Monet often systematically created a series of works on the same subject, and he painted a number of versions of this view from the opposite bank of the Seine at different times of the day to record varying effects of light and atmosphere. In this instance, hazy sunshine blurs the Gothic church’s carved details as well as the distinction between architecture and foliage, river and bank. Monet thickly and uniformly brushed undifferentiated strokes of pale purple, pink, blue, and green across his canvas, creating a dry, encrusted surface.
Artist: Claude Monet, French, 1840-1926
Medium: Oil on canvas
Place Made: France
Dates: 1894
Dimensions: 26 x 37 7/16 in. (66 x 95.1 cm) Frame: 34 3/8 x 44 7/8 x 3 7/8 in. (87.3 x 114 x 9.8 cm)
Signature: Signed and dated lower left: "Claude Monet 94"
Collections: European Art
Museum Location: This item is not on view
Accession Number: 22.59
Credit Line: Purchased with funds given by Helen L. Babbott and Frank L. Babbott