Monet’s Rouen Cathedral – Photo Observation 10
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen_Cathedral_(Monet)>
Theme: Dealers Choice
Monet’s Rouen Cathedral, West Facade. I have so many feelings about these paintings. They are two of more than thirty paintings of the same church, Rouen Cathedral, all under different levels of light varied by time of day and season. These two hang next to each other in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and I saw them when I was there over spring break. They play of light across the levels and details of the gothic architecture is stunning, and you see how the change in daylight will obscure or wash out some sections, and create new shapes in others. Monet perfectly captures the light in these paintings, creating so much with the quick, rough movements of his brush. You can see the physical paint caking up in sections, the light literally built off of the arches and columns. I had seen plenty of Monet’s works before, and had always loved his water lilies, but had never seen these before and was absolutely spellbound. I returned to the National Gallery specifically to return to the impressionists and to this pair a couple days later, and simply stood before them for almost ten minutes. There are only a few of these in the US— D.C., Los Angeles, and Williamstown, MA… but to see these physically before you is an awe-inspiring experience.