Claude Monet Il Pont d'Argenteuil

A number of paintings from Argenteuil depict boats and this is a classic example. Monet had very commerical mind and, as boating was a popular pastime for Parisians in the 1890s, his choice of subject matter was guaranteed to appeal to the buying public. The whole is a tranquil scene that has a translucent air to it. The colors harmonize together to help create an aesthetic view. Broken color is used where it is necessary to depict the surface of the water affected by light, and under the arches of adjacent lines, an almost translucent effect is created. The bridge to the right is another feature that Monet favored in paintings at this time. In this picture the lines and arches provide a geometric balance to the translucence of the water. "Les Dechargeurs de Charbon" (1875) is a contrasting vision both of the river and of a bridge. In this painting the river is a source of industry, not relaxtion. The bridge is used as a dark frame across the top half of the painting and appears threatening. In "Au Pont d'Argenteuil" the river is peaceful and the bridge a complement to it.