Claude Monet Zuiderkerk at Amsterdam, The

There is some confusion about the date of this painting. Monet visited Holland in the summer of 1871, yet this painting is dated 1872. It is now generally agreed that, despite the date, this and another painting, also dated 1872, are part of the 1871 series. The composition of this painting is centered on the spire, with the canal leading up to it. On the right are the tall buildings of Amsterdam, with people moving along the pavement and over the bridge. These people are painted as flecks. The reflections of the buildings on the water are represented by yellow brushstrokes only, with no detail to them. This is the same as in "Le Parlement, Couchant de Soleil (1904)", where the building buildings' reflection is identified only as a dark patch of water. A comparison of these two paintings reveals that by 1904 Monet was less concerned about observing the boundaries between building ends and reflection begins. In "La Zuiderkerk, Amsterdam" the water is clearly separated from the buildings and there is no danger of building and reflection merging. The painting is in focus and uses strong blocks of color, whereas the London painting has a mist over it that prevents a detailed look at the subject.