Autumn Effect at Argenteuil
- Artist: Claude Monet
- Date: 1873
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "Autumn Effect at Argenteuil" by Claude Monet. Painted in 1873, it captures the Seine as seen from a quiet side channel where Monet’s studio boat was moored. The focus is not just the river but the riot of autumn colors that burst across the trees lining the water. He used thick parallel lines to render the blue of the water, creating a rhythmic contrast with the orange leaves. The texture on the bark of the trees is striking—Monet scratched the paint with the handle of his brush, giving a tactile quality that seems almost alive. The scene is both intimate and expansive, a slice of Argenteuil that Monet called home from 1871 to 1878. Living in this suburb offered him an affordable alternative to Paris, and the new railroads made the town easily accessible, bringing in fresh inspiration. The oil on canvas carries a luminosity that makes the light of that late summer day feel almost tangible. It’s a wonderful example of how Monet’s plein‑air technique and his love for color combine to turn a simple riverside view into a vibrant, almost musical composition.
See it in person
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
