Rouen Cathedral, West Façade
1894
Monet became utterly obsessed with this Gothic cathedral, renting a room directly across the street to paint it over and over again. He created more than 30 versions of this same façade, capturing how the changing sunlight transformed the stone from cool morning blues to fiery sunset oranges. This particular version bathes the intricate architecture in a hazy, ethereal blue light, dissolving the solid stone into a shimmering dream of color. It’s a perfect example of Impressionism, where the fleeting effect of light matters far more than the actual building itself.
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