Claude Monet paintings

Monet: the leading figure of Impressionism

The impressionist artists seek to capture the fleeting moments of the day with paint on canvas. They concentrate on the effects of light, colour and movement. The paint is often applied with a loose, quick brushstroke. This leads to more abstract and less detailed works..

The invention of zinc paint tubes brought about a significant development in painting. These tubes prevented the paint from drying out quickly and made it easy to carry. A major advantage for the impressionists. They were able to leave their studios, take their painting materials with them and work ‘en plein air’ (in the open air). Monet also painted outdoors.

Claude Monet artworks at the Kröller-Müller Museum

Monet’s paintings are on display all over the world. His works can also be seen at the Kröller-Müller Museum, such as Le bateau-atelier (Monet's Studio-Boat) from 1874. This painting tells the story of the period in which Claude Monet lived just outside Paris. He had a boat built in which he could paint the surroundings from the water. This boat gave him a lot of (artistic) freedom. It allowed him to paint the effects of light on the water and the landscape.

Another Claude Monet artwork we would like to highlight is the Portrait of Miss Guurtje van de Stadt from 1871. Monet painted it during his stay in Zaandam. In the four months of his Netherlands visit, Monet painted 24 Zaandam townscapes and landscapes. As well as this portrait of 17-year-old Guurtje van de Stadt. She belonged to one of Zaandam's wealthier families. What is striking about this portrait is that the colours are rather subdued compared to his other works. This may be because Guurtje was mourning her recently deceased father.

Please note: These works are on display until 9 August 2026 at Kobe City Museum, Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art and The Ueno Royal Museum (Japan), respectively, in the Grand Van Gogh Exhibition.