Rouen Cathedral

Claude Monet's Rouen Cathedral series, created in the 1890s, represents a stunning collection of over thirty paintings that depict the cathedral's façade at various times of the day and throughout the year. These works beautifully illustrate the cathedral’s appearance under different lighting conditions.

Monet rented a temporary studio facing the cathedral in Rouen between 1892 and 1893. He worked on these paintings on-site and later refined them in his own studio in 1894. By 1895, Monet exhibited twenty of these paintings in Paris, successfully selling eight. The series received critical acclaim, coinciding with a resurgence of interest in Catholicism in France at the time.

Monet was deeply intrigued by the transformative power of light, a fascination clearly reflected in this series. His objective was to capture these fleeting visual sensations, emphasizing how light influences perception. The Rouen Cathedral series marked a departure from Monet’s typical landscapes, allowing him to explore the interplay between the cathedral’s solid structure and the ever-changing light. Despite the project's challenges, Monet employed thick, textured paint to convey the intricate details of the cathedral.

In 2018, the National Gallery in London showcased five paintings from this series in a special exhibition entitled "Monet & Architecture." This rare event assembled works from diverse collections, as no museum typically possesses more than three of the paintings from the series. Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series remains a brilliant testament to his skill in capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and color.