The Sceaux Railway Station
1870
Painted during the bleak Siege of Paris in the winter of 1870, this chilly scene captures the Sceaux railway station buried under heavy snow. Manet uses thick, rapid brushstrokes to convey the biting cold and grey atmosphere, with just two tiny figures braving the elements in the bottom right corner. Though often linked to Impressionism for its loose, sketchy style, Manet actually painted this while serving in the National Guard, turning a grim wartime reality into a striking, atmospheric winter landscape that feels incredibly modern.
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