The Japanese Bridge 3 1924

Claude Monet created The Japanese Bridge 3 using oil paints, though when, exactly, is anyone’s guess! Look at this riot of blues and greens, applied with such energetic, visible strokes. You can almost feel Monet wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture the ephemeral dance of light on water. The texture is palpable, the paint thick in some areas, thin in others, like a topographical map of Monet's mind. Notice the frenetic strokes in the upper part of the canvas; these translate into a brooding, almost gothic feel. It’s as though each stroke is a tiny rebellion against the fleeting nature of the scene. Monet makes me think of Turner, but where Turner sought the sublime, Monet seems to be chasing after something more elusive – an impression, a feeling, a memory. And isn't that what art is all about? Not just seeing, but feeling, remembering, and maybe even dreaming a little.