Brushwork: From Description to Expression

The evolution of Monet's brushwork parallels his exploration of color. His early works show relatively smooth, controlled brushstrokes that describe form conventionally. By the 1870s, his touch had become more varied and responsive to what he was painting—short, choppy strokes for water; longer, flowing strokes for sky; thick impasto for flowers.

The La Grenouillère paintings of 1869, created alongside Renoir, mark a crucial moment in this evolution. Here Monet used bold, separate strokes to capture the sparkle of water and the movement of figures. The brushwork itself became part of the painting's meaning, conveying energy and immediacy rather than merely describing forms.

Through the 1880s, Monet's brushwork became increasingly sophisticated. He developed different "handwritings" for different subjects—vertical strokes for grain stacks, horizontal for water, circular for foliage. In the Japanese bridge paintings, the brushstrokes create rhythm and movement that enhance the sense of the garden as a living entity.

The late Water Lilies push brushwork to its limits. Here, strokes of paint float across the canvas like the plants they represent, creating webs of color that hover between representation and abstraction. The physical act of applying paint became a form of meditation, a way of becoming one with the subject.