Snow Scene at Argenteuil
- Artist: Claude Monet
- Date: 1875
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Snow Scene at Argenteuil" by Claude Monet. Painted in 1875, it's one of 18 canvases that capture the snowy winter of 1874/5. The painting shows a quiet afternoon scene on the Boulevard Saint-Denis near Monet's home, looking towards its junction with the rue de la Voie des Bans. In the distance, you can see the Seine beyond.
Monet was fascinated by capturing the atmospheric conditions in this picture. It's an overcast day and the sun is slowly fading from the sky. His palette is almost monochromatic, but he's warmed it up with pink tones and occasional touches of stronger colour to add depth and interest.
Look closely at the road in the foreground - the paint is thicker here than elsewhere, suggesting that Monet was trying to convey the physical presence of deep snow. The wavy brown cart tracks snake into the distance, drawing your eye towards the horizon where distant buildings seem to dissolve in the mist.
Monet's focus on atmosphere rather than individual details gives this painting a sense of calm and serenity, inviting you to step into the quiet world of Argenteuil on that winter's day.
See it in person
Snow Scene at Argenteuil hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
