Houses of Parliament (Monet series)

In the autumns of 1899, 1900, and 1901, Claude Monet crafted a captivating series of oil paintings depicting the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament, during his visits to London. This series, all uniform in size at 81 cm × 92 cm, captures various times of day and different weather conditions from the same vantage point—either from Monet's window or a terrace at St Thomas' Hospital, overlooking the Thames.

Departing from his previous practice of completing paintings on-site, Monet adopted a different approach for this series. He refined the images upon returning to France, guided by photographs he had taken in London. While some critics disapproved of this method, Monet defended his process, asserting that the manner in which he created his art was his own concern, and that only the final result mattered to viewers.

In 2018, Tate Britain in London assembled six paintings from this series for a special exhibition titled "Impressionists in London, French Artists in Exile (1870–1904)." This exhibition highlighted the temporary exile of French and Impressionist artists in London during the Franco-Prussian War. This collection was also exhibited at the Petit Palais in Paris.

Additionally, the National Gallery in London featured three paintings from the series in another 2018 exhibition titled "Monet & Architecture." This exhibit explored how Monet utilized architectural elements to frame and enhance his artwork. Notably, no museum owns or permanently displays more than two paintings from this extraordinary series.