Claude Monet, The Train In The Snow – Painting Of The Week

Claude Monet painted The Train In The Snow in 1875. The work wasn't shown in Impressionist exhibition, but it reveals Monet's attraction to the convergence of nature and technology, so typical not only for him but also for the artists of the circle. The train, with it's power and speed gave him a constantly changing motif of  ideal for artistic observations. [caption id="attachment_10008" align="alignnone" width="1053"] Claude Monet, The Train in the Snow, 1875, Musée Marmottan, Paris.[/caption] This scene was painted in the railway station in Argenteuil, directly opposite Monet's home. Monet's Train in the Snow is a bit different from his other pieces. It combines elements of colour blending to create a solid image. Unlike Impression, soleil levant this work clearly depicts an event and a location. The true stillness of the moment has been captured perfectly. The short brush strokes give texture to the wooden fence posts and to the smoke from the train. The setting of a winter day has also captured this sense of stillness. The lack of any sun gives this painting a timeless setting as if it could be at any time of day. The blending of different grays and light blues gives a sense of more colours to the sky than would normally be seen. Towards the vanishing point a small bright light can be seen perhaps a lantern or a street light signaling the arrival or departure of the train.