#ThamesRiver

[marketingpicnic]

A Mesmerizing Mirage": How Monet's Paintings Transformed Our Perception of London

Claude Monet’s revolutionary depictions of London, particularly his fog-shrouded visions of the Thames, have forever altered how the world sees the British capital. A new exhibition, Monet and London: Views of the Thames at the Courtauld Gallery, explores the French Impressionist’s groundbreaking work and how his ethereal paintings reshaped the city’s image.

Monet’s Vision Beyond Reality

Some artists capture the world with stunning accuracy, while others, like Monet, go beyond mere representation. Between 1899 and 1901, during three extended stays in London, Monet embarked on an ambitious series of nearly 100 paintings. These works, centered around the Thames River, are not just landscapes but explorations of light and atmosphere. Monet’s portrayal of the city, veiled in mist and fog, offered an entirely new way of seeing London—an "unreal city," as poet T.S. Eliot would later describe it.

Monet's focus was less about the landmarks themselves and more about the elusive interplay between light and the environment. His works, such as The Houses of Parliament, Shaft of Sunlight in the Fog, dissolve the solid structures of the city into vaporous illusions, making viewers question the very nature of what they are seeing.

The Making of a Masterpiece

Monet’s obsession with London's fog was central to his creative process. From the terrace of St. Thomas’s Hospital and his rooms at the Savoy Hotel, he painstakingly studied how the sunlight interacted with the ever-changing fog and smog along the Thames. Each canvas was a blend of light, mist, and shadow, capturing fleeting moments in time and space.

The artist’s frustration when faced with a fogless morning reveals his deep connection to this atmospheric element. In a letter to his wife, he once confessed his horror at waking to a clear sky, fearing that his canvases would be ruined. For Monet, London was not merely a city—it was a living, breathing entity whose true beauty could only be revealed through its foggy veil.

Monet’s Legacy and London’s Transformation

Monet's depictions of London were more than mere artistic experiments; they were transformative. His misty, atmospheric views of the city offered a new lens through which the world came to view London. As American art critic Desmond FitzGerald once noted, Monet’s fog-laden paintings seem "half-finished" at first, but gradually reveal their intricate details as the viewer's eye adjusts. These works challenged the traditional perception of London’s solidity, replacing it with a shimmering, almost dreamlike quality.

Oscar Wilde, writing around the same time Monet first set up his easel in London, remarked that people began to see fogs because poets and painters taught them to appreciate their mysterious beauty. Monet's paintings captured the essence of London in ways that had never been seen before, blending reality and illusion into a mesmerizing mirage.

An Exhibition of a Lifetime

The exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery provides a rare opportunity to see more than a third of the works Monet created during his London visits. The collection showcases the artist's genius for capturing the interplay of light, smoke, and mist, and his ability to transform a bustling, industrial city into a series of ethereal landscapes. This convergence of masterpieces will not only transport viewers back to turn-of-the-century London but also demonstrate how Monet’s artistic experiments changed the way we perceive cities and nature.

Conclusion

Monet’s London series is a testament to his innovative spirit and his ability to see beyond the visible. His pioneering work with light and atmosphere reshaped not just the artistic world but also how we understand the places we inhabit. Monet and London: Views of the Thames is more than an exhibition—it’s a window into a world transformed by the genius of one man, and it offers a rare chance to experience the luminous beauty that Monet found hidden in the fog.

The exhibition runs at the Courtauld Gallery, London, until January 19, 2025.

[andyevansphotos]

(via "Albert Bridge River Thames London" Canvas Print for Sale by AndyEvansPhotos)

[discovertheday]

London New Years Eve 2024, United Kingdom

[thebwshow]

Early Morning Thames #london #londonskyline #thamesriver https://www.instagram.com/p/CowQN8QsNz0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[meganutriland]

There are so many opportunities, we need just make proper research. Like the one with London River service. Great experience. Planning ahead next trip #riverthames #london #thames #londonlife #uk #towerbridge #england #photography #river #city #visitlondon #thamesriver #architecture #londoncity #londonphotography #londoneye #travel #thamespath #thisislondon #photooftheday #theshard #cityoflondon #photo #londonbridge #nature #unitedkingdom #sunset #londonist #mudlarking #travelphotography (at Embankment) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cot0zzEI48X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[luiscartaxo]

Canoeing… #riverthames #thamesriver #floating #boatsofinstagram #iffleylock #narrowboat #oxfordcanal #reflection #reflections #riverreflection #bbcoxford #oxforduniversity #oxfordshirephotography #oxford #oxforduk #igersoxford #igersuk #oxfordlens #oxford_uk #ukpotd #oxfordphotowalk #reflectionsinwater #lc_insta #boat #nikond5300 #narrowboatlife #canoeing #canoe (at Oxford, Oxfordshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnd03RRI6mh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[sambarsky]

5.) My second attempt, first successful one, at making a sweater/jumper of the Tower Bridge in London, after previously failing several months earlier. And this was not my last. I loved the design so much, I made another a year later. Inspiration came from a magazine photo. This picture came from my visit in 2014. Images have been taken to make this a T-shirt someday, and my other tower bridge sweater already comes as one. #sambarsky #sambarskysweaters #sambarskyknitter #knit #knitting #knitter #art #artist #sweater #intarsia #handknit #london #londonbridge #towerbridge #unitedkingdom #unitedkingdom🇬🇧 #england #england🇬🇧#thames #thamesriver

[charlesleondraws]

Windsor Castle – iPad sketch using Concepts App. Whilst this is fun to do, I do miss the tactile feel of paper and pen.

www.charlesleon.uk/thames-path-sketch-journal

#pensketches #pensketching #penandinkdrawing #sketchingart #urbansketching #pensketching #dailysketching #sketchingeveryday #urbansketcherslondon #thamesriver #sketchjournal #journalingideas #architecturesketch #thamespath #urbansketchers @thamespathnt

[lluxoperon]

Tower Bridge, the Thames, and a row of double-decker seats. London, UK, 2022. • #london #uk #doubledecker #bus #seats #thamesriver #water #towerbridge #window #place • #england #unitedkingdom #europe #visitengland #explorelondon #travellondon #thecreative #aroundtheworldpix #ig_masterpiece #theprettycities #flashesofdelight #travelog #wandering #alwaysexploring #travel #fujifeed #fujifilm_global #myfujifilm #fujixclub #fujiframez

[therealhealth]

"The Great Stink: How a Stench Changed London" #shorts, #viralvideo,

In 1858, London was engulfed by 'The Great Stink' due to the Thames River's pollution, forcing the city to revolutionize its sanitation systems. Discover how a foul odor led to a cleaner, healthier London."

#TheGreatStink, #LondonHistory, #SanitationRevolution, #ThamesRiver, #UrbanDevelopment, #HistoryFacts, #VictorianLondon, #CityReforms, #PublicHealth, #EnvironmentalChange..

[fromtheothersideby]

🌆📸 Captured by 2Boomers using a DJI Air 2s, behold the stunning view of the Thames River and Tower Bridge adorned with its lights against the backdrop of dawn breaking behind Canary Wharf. A moment frozen in time. #2Boomers 🦘🦘 #DJI #DJIAir2s @DJIGlobal #ThamesRiver #TowerBridge #CanaryWharf #Dawn

[travelonourown]

[onurbruno]

Thames and buildings silhouette

Kodak Retina IIc

Ilford XP2

[thebwshow]

Thames Downriver #london #thamesriver #thames https://www.instagram.com/p/CoofEdxs0j_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[davidcarpenterart]

Chelsea Houseboats, London. 2021

Oil on board, en plein air.

[luiscartaxo]

Sinking home… #abandoned #boatsofinstagram #reflection #reflections #riverreflection #reflectiongram #bbcoxford #oxforduniversity #oxford #oxforduk #igersoxford #igersuk #oxfordlens #oxford_uk #reflectionsinwater #lc_insta #boat #raw_reflection #raw_reflection_ #raw_reflections #raw_waters #raw_waters_ #raw_allnature #raw_abandoned #raw_transports #raw_uk #sinking #boat #thames #thamesriver #riverthames (at Oxford, Oxfordshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coyy78GIXw1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=